Decisions, Decisions
by lynn82md
Summary: Detective Hoffman's life hangs in the balance as Dr. Gordon tests one of his nurses to see if she will practice what she recently preached after she lost a patient.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: This takes place after Saw 3D. _

**Warning: There is content in here that could be considered as disturbing and triggering.**

Jesse Anderson's eyelids fluttered open. It was dark. Her head hurt, and her tongue felt thick in her own mouth. She realized she was laying on a hard, tile floor like a bathroom. Had she passed out? She couldn't have. She didn't feel the typical signs that she was about to faint. She tried to remember what happened to her before she lost consciousness, but her memory was still hazy.

As she got her bearings, she realized that there was something heavy on her forearms. She looked down on them, but she couldn't see anything because it was so dark. Whatever it was, it was causing something to press against the artery in her wrist. She sat up slowly to prevent the blood from rushing to her head. She didn't want to pass out again since she felt dizzy. However, she let out a gasp when pain exploded in both of her upper legs like someone had cut her very deeply.

She felt around her. Her hands came to a tiled wall. Yep, she was definitely in a bathroom. However, was it the bathroom at the hospital or somewhere else? She took a deep breath, and learned that wasn't a good idea. She retched, and vomited. Considering how horrid it smelled in there, this was definitely not a bathroom at the hospital. Bathrooms in the hospital were way more sterilized than this, especially since the scent of blood and human decomposition hung heavy in the air.

"Where am I?" She wondered out loud. She gasped in surprise when she heard a voice respond to her.

"In hell" it had said.

"Who are you?" She called out.

"You're going to find out eventually." The voice, which was male, said dryly. It had a New York accent. Well, at least it sounded that way to her.

"Am I dead?" Another voice asked curiously, which sounded young and female. Jesse rolled her eyes in the dark. Someone dead wouldn't be able to talk.

"No, but you might be soon." The male voice replied coldly.

At that point, the light came on. Jesse closed her eyes against the brightness of the light. She opened them when she heard a young woman scream.

"Do you mind not screaming?" The male voice asked dryly. "It hurts my ears." Jesse turned her head in the direction of the man's voice. She gasped.

The man was chained to a pipe that was close to a grungy bath tub. Not too far from him were the skeletal remains of a man. There were two other corpses lying on the floor, highly decomposed. The man, himself, looked like he lost some weight. His hair was stringy. He had a stumble growing. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, which looked like sunk into his head a bit. He looked like he been here for a while, about a few weeks.

She looked down at herself. She was in her scrubs. There were a spot of blood on each leg above the knee. She winced when she poked the area. However, what shocked her more was what was on her arms.

They could've passed as gauntlets, but they covered her whole entire forearm from wrist to elbow. They felt a tad bit heavy too.

"I know you." The man said to her, distracting her.

She raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"You're a nurse at the hospital."

"How do you know that?"

"I've seen you before." He said impatiently. "Your name is Jesse Anderson. Right?" She closed her eyes, beginning to feel a bit faint. "Right?"

"Right"

"Please don't pass out"

"I'll try hard not to."

"Where are we?" The young woman asked.

Jesse looked at her. The young woman was chained to a pipe on the other side of the bathroom. She was very close to a huge dried pool of blood. She wore skin tight jeans, a short sleeve shirt showing her midriff (which was a bit flabby, but who was she to judge since she had a bit of flab too?), long hoop earrings, and shitload of make up on her face. Jesse wondered if she was some kind of prostitute or something.

"Didn't you hear me the first time?" The man asked dryly. "We are in hell."

"I can see that." The woman snapped back at him. "What I want to know is where we are?" The man's eyebrows drew down as anger crossed his features. Jesse felt like he was about to yell at the young woman when the woman held up her hand to silence him. "Yes, I know we're in a bathroom. However, where in the fuck is this bathroom located in?"

"A house"

"A house" The woman repeated in disbelief.

The man shrugged indifferently. "That's what I said."

"Yeah, right" The woman said angrily. "Do you expect me to accept that we're being kept in an industrialized bathroom in a house?"

Again, the man shrugged. "Yes"

"You are fucking crazy."

"Right back at you"

Jesse held up her hands. "Can we not do this now? We need to think of a way to get out of here."

"I know how to get out of here." The man told me.

"You do?" I asked him, feeling hope rise.

"Of course" He replied dryly. "If I didn't, I wouldn't have said anything. Now, would I?"

Jesse shook her head and got onto her knees. Pain exploded in the area above the knees. She cried out in pain, and rolled on her back. She pressed her hands down on the areas that hurt. She winced when she felt a stinging sensation in those areas.

"What's wrong?" The woman asked her with concern.

"It feels like someone has cut me on the Vastus intermedius."

The woman gave her a weird look. "Can you speak English?"

"She can't help it that you speak fluent twit." The man remarked dryly.

"Fuck you" The young woman shot back.

"It's this muscle." Jesse interrupted, pointing at the middle of her thigh where the cut was.

"Oh, okay"

Jesse slowly sat up, and put the wall to her back. "I don't know which is worse. The cuts on my thighs or these…cuffs, I guess."

"The cuffs look more sinister."

"I smell something." The man announced.

"I wouldn't be surprised." The young woman remarked. "The way you look, I bet you smell horrible."

"You would be too if you've been chained up down here for the last two weeks!" The man shouted.

"You've been here for two weeks?" Jesse said in disbelief. "How the hell have you been staying alive?" A person can survive without food for two to eight weeks and without water for three to four days.

"You don't want to know."

"I'll take your word for it." The young woman said.

However, Jesse already had an unwanted visual of how she could see the man surviving. Either he was getting water from the bath tub he was near, the toilet, or his own urine. She didn't even want to know what he was eating…if he was eating.

She suddenly smelled the scent of biscuits and fried chicken. The man had been right that he had smelled something.

"I can smell food."

"Me too" The young woman said as she stood up. "Oh, I'm so hungry right now. I can eat a horse."

Using the wall behind her as leverage, Jesse gained to her feet. "Where's it coming from?"

The young woman's head turned towards where there was a door that slide open and close. She pointed and shouted "There!"

At that point, the door slid open slightly. The young woman ran to the door screaming for help. She fell flat on her face when the chain attached to the manacle at her ankle tightened. Jesse had cringed when she heard a crunch. When the young woman sat up, blood dripped down from her nose.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you okay?" Jesse asked with concern. The young woman nodded, her eyes filled with tears.

Jesse turned her head towards the door. A gloved hand popped in, and dropped a white bag onto the floor. Then, the gloved hand disappeared back behind the door. The door slid close once again.

"It's food!" The young woman exclaimed happily. "I'm starving."

"Oh, and I'm not." The man said sarcastically before he rolled his eyes. To Jesse, he said "See what's in the bag"

"What if it's a trap?"

"It's not."

Jesse nodded. She took his word for it. She winced a bit at the wounds on her legs stung. She walked over to where the bag lay on the floor, and bent over to retrieve it. The bag felt a little heavy like there was more in it than just food.

She made her way back to where she had come to on the floor, and slowly got back down on the floor. It hadn't been agonizing to walk, but her legs sure did feel sore. She spread her legs out in a full eagle and set the bag between them. She peered inside the bag.

She saw a black tape recorder on top of a small cardboard box. Next to the small cardboard box were two small Styrofoam bowls. One looked like it had mashed potatoes with gravy. The other one looked like it had green beans. There was also a bottle of water in there standing next to the two Styrofoam bowls. Her mouth watered at the sight and smell of the food.

"What's in it?" The young woman asked curiously.

"A tape recorder, a bottle of water, and food"

"Play the tape recorder" The man told her.

She reached into the bag, and pulled out the tape recorder. She pressed play.

"Hello Jesse" The voice on the tape recorder said. Whoever made the tape had obviously used a voice modulator. "I want to play a game. As a nurse, you help your colleagues make life and death decisions every day. However, recently, you decided you will never help save the life of someone that has committed murder. Well, today you'll be tested on that theory."

Jesse's mind immediately flashed back to two days ago when she had a conversation with her boss, Dr. Lawrence Gordon.

* * *

><p><em>She had been sitting in the break room, looking out the window. Troubled thoughts had invaded her mind. Everything from what happened a year ago to an hour earlier. She questioned herself if being a nurse was still something she wanted to do. She's seen a lot, and began to realize it wasn't something for her after all.<em>

_ Dr. Lawrence Gordon, who she been working for the last four years, walked into the break room. She heard him approach her. She didn't mistake the sound of his prosthetic foot on the floor. She knew he had been a victim of Jigsaw's, and he cut off his own foot to save his life. Not to mention, save the lives of his now-ex-wife and their daughter too_

_ He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "There's my sweet nurse. Maggie told me you were here." Maggie is the head nurse._

_ "Yeah"_

_ "I'm sorry about the baby."_

_ She shrugged indifferently, although she was trying hard not to cry. "It's okay. You know, death happens. It's a part of life."_

_ He sat down beside her, and wrapped his arm around her. "I know you were getting attached to the baby, Jesse. Maggie told me you were considering adopting the infant once it got better."_

_ "Yeah, I was going to adopt Rose."_

_ "That's a lovely name"_

_ "Thank you" Jesse said, her voice quivering with emotion. "You know that her mother didn't even name her? She just called the baby "IT"." Her anger was beginning to evaporate the tears in her eyes._

_ "I'm sorry, Jesse." He paused. He gave a huge sigh. "I'm not sure if I should be telling you this."_

_ She turned to him. "What?"_

_ "Police searched the house of Rose's mother" He began. "They found the body of a three month old boy in there. His throat had been slit."_

_ She squeezed her eyes to try to block out the image, but it was too late. She can see the horrifying scene in her mind. "Why did she do that?"_

_ "She said that he wouldn't shut up."_

_ Jesse's mouth dropped in horror. "She killed her baby because she couldn't get it to stop crying?"_

_ "Uh huh" He replied solemnly. "So, she's being charged with first degree murder as well as child abuse and neglect."_

_ "Good, I hope karma comes back and bites her in the ass!"_

_ She noticed that he had a certain glint in his eyes. "Me too"_

_ "I really hate people that commit murder. I especially hate those that commit murder for no reason or for something like pleasure."_

_ "Me too"_

_ "I hope I never have a murderer as a patient."_

_ He raised his eyebrow. "Why?"_

_ "Why the hell should I save someone that has committed murder?"_

_ His expression was one of disbelief. "Because it's your job as a nurse" He replied. "We save everyone, whether if we like what they did or not."_

_ She suddenly came to a realization. "Maybe I don't want to be a nurse anymore." She said softly._

_ He shook his head like he didn't hear her right. "Maybe I misheard you, but didn't you just say you may not want to be a nurse anymore?" She nodded. He chuckled nervously. "Come on, Jesse. You can't mean that?"_

_ She was silent a bit. "Maybe I do"_

_ He stood up quickly. He bent down, took her hands, and pulled her to her feet. "Jesse, you're not thinking straight. You're upset by the baby's death. I don't blame you. You've also had a rough year." He paused, taking a deep breath. "Maybe I should give you the week off, so you can think things through. I don't want to lose you. You're one of my best nurses."_

_ "I'm not, though." She said sadly. "A nurse wouldn't consider not saving a patient that has committed murder."_

_ "True, but it doesn't make you horrible." He reassured her. "I'm sure everyone in the medical community has entertained the idea. However, we don't act on it. It violates the Hippocratic Oath."_

_ "I know, but after Rose's death…I don't think I can save a murderer's life." She said glumly, pulling her hands away from him. "I'm going to turn in my two week's notice before I leave."_

_ "Don't Jesse" He protested. "Please give yourself a week to reconsider. If you haven't changed your mind, you can turn your two week notice in."_

_ She thought a bit. "Okay, I'll do that."_

_ He smiled at her. "Alright, see you in a week Jesse."_

_ "Bye Doc"_


	3. Chapter 3

Jesse came back to reality as she listened to the remainder of the message on the tape recorder.

"Before I explain your tests, I would like to introduce you to your fellow prisoners." The voice on the tape continued. "The man chained closest to the bath tub is Detective Mark Hoffman. The woman chained opposite of him on the other side is Miss Kate Turner. Detective Mark Hoffman is a former apprentice of the late Jigsaw. He assisted in the death of many people, and directly killed many including Jigsaw's ex wife Jill Tuck. Miss Kate Turner is the mother of the baby you wanted to adopt. She murdered her son and neglected her daughter, which lead to her death."

Jesse turned her head towards Kate's way, and her eyes narrowed. Kate shrank back at the venom she saw in the nurse's eyes.

"Now that you've been properly introduced to your fellow prisoners, it's time to tell you what your two tests are." The tape went on. "First test involves the bag of food and bottle water. Only one person can have it. You either give it to one of the murderers, or you keep it for yourself. No sharing. If you do, it will trigger the electrodes that are placed on Hoffman and Turner's chains as well as the inside of your wrist cuff. These electrodes will deliver a strong jolt. It may not be strong enough to kill, but it will be painful enough where you will wish for death.

The second test is making a choice in saving one of murderers imprisoned with you. Or you could save both of them while you sacrifice your life. Either way, only two of you will leave this place alive. However, if you haven't made your decision in an hour from now, the device in the cuffs on your wrists will be triggered. It will slit your wrists, and you'll die from blood loss. If that happens, none of you will leave this place alive. So, nurse Jesse, will it be life or death? Choose wisely. Let the game begin."

* * *

><p>"Son of a bitch" Jesse shouted as she took the tape recorder and hurled it against the wall. The tape recorder broke on impact, and fragments fell to the floor. "I don't want to be a fucking nurse anymore!"<p>

"My, what a temper" Hoffman mused.

"Oh, shut up Detective!" Jesse snapped.

He smiled at her. She shuddered when she saw that his teeth were slightly yellow. "I like it when a girl gets feisty."

"Color me surprised" Kate said dryly.

"No one is talking to you, bitch." Hoffman countered.

"You think I give a fuck about that?"

"No, I don't think you give a fuck about a lot of things."

"Alright, will you two shut up? I need to decide who gets to have the food first." Jesse told them dryly.

"Give the food to me." Kate said, raising her hand a bit like she was in a classroom. She gestured towards Hoffman. "He doesn't deserve to eat."

Jesse raised her eyebrow. "And you do?"

"Yeah, I wasn't an apprentice to Jigsaw."

"At least I never murdered a child." Hoffman shot back.

"He's got you there." Jesse told Kate.

"Pfftt, whatever" Kate said as she sat against the wall.

Jesse looked down at the food in the bag. Obviously, the decision was clear. She gave the bag of food to the Detective. Kate gave a sound of protest while Hoffman smiled triumphantly.

"Thank you, my dear" He said as he began to eat the fried chicken (well, literally tear into the fried chicken like a pack dog).

"I hope you choke on that." Kate said coldly.

"If I do, I have a nurse that will save me." He said smugly as he continued to eat the food.


	4. Chapter 4

The sad thing, Jesse realized, is that she would most likely save him if he did start choking. It was in her nature to help others. It's why she became a nurse. She wouldn't be able to stand by and watch someone suffer or die. She began to understand why Dr. Gordon had said that many in the health community just think about not helping to save a murderer's life rather than act on it. It was more than not wanting to violate the Hippocratic Oath. It was because it went against their nature to help others in need. People like that couldn't stand to hurt other people, no matter how they may personally feel about them.

That was another thing Dr. Gordon had been right about. Her emotions were making it hard for her to think clearly. Baby Rose dying two days ago added to the grief that she already had when her mother died six months ago and she lost a pregnancy a year ago. She had almost died herself from blood loss when she miscarried, and she was still coming to terms with that. It also didn't help that her boyfriend of ten years broke up with her two months ago because she had trouble conceiving and he's pressed to have a child of his own with his DNA rather than adopt a child if he was pressed to be a father in general. All this build up of emotions came to pass when Rose died.

She looked at Rose's mother, who was looking at Hoffman with jealousy. She wanted to eat. However, Jesse felt like she made the right choice giving the food to Hoffman since he hadn't eaten anything in two weeks. She had been awfully tempted to keep the food for herself because she hadn't had anything to eat since lunchtime the day before. She bet that Kate probably had something to eat hours ago.

Her thoughts turned from her rumbling stomach to both of her cell mates. One was a self-centered woman that murdered her son and neglected her daughter, which lead to her death. The other was an apprentice to a serial killer that's also a detective. Hoffman had said he knew her from the hospital, but she was having trouble remembering him. Maybe it was because he looked different now compare to all the other times she saw him.

"Detective" She began.

"Hmmm" The detective acknowledged, chewing on a piece of chicken.

"You said you've seen me before at the hospital."

"Yes" He replied after swallowing. "However, I just realized I've seen you outside of the hospital too."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really, where did you see me at?"

"Bar"

She thought a bit. Nah, she still didn't recognize him.

"Do you know when?"

He thought a bit as he chewed. "Yeah, it was when your boyfriend had broken up with you."

She thought again, struggling to remember her cell mate.

* * *

><p><em>It had been raining outside when she came into the bar that evening. The weather had matched her mood perfectly like Mother Nature was crying along with her. She hung up her coat, and dragged herself onto the barstool. She normally didn't drink when she was depressed. However, she felt like if she didn't numb herself, she was going to lose it.<em>

_The bartender smiled at her. "Hey beautiful, what can I get you?"_

_"Long Island Ice Tea"_

_He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you've banned yourself from that."_

_She shrugged indifferently. "Yeah, well, I'm lifting the ban for tonight."_

_"Why, what's wrong?"_

_Before she could answer, tears that she had been holding back all day fell down her cheeks. She covered her face in both of her hands, embarrassed at shedding tears in public. She hated to cry in front of people._


	5. Chapter 5

"What's wrong, Small Fry?" Kevin asked with concern, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Jesse took a couple deep breaths before she replied, trying to compose herself. "Aaron broke up with me, Kevin."

His mouth dropped. "Why?"

"I'm barren." She sniffled before she continued. "We've been trying to conceive for three years now." She told him. "On my twenty-fifth birthday, he told me to go off birth control so we can start trying."

She pause a bit to get in control of herself again. "Eighteen months later, I had suspected I was pregnant. It was mostly because I was late…by eight weeks." She went on. "However, I decided to wait until the end of the month before I got a pregnancy test."

Kevin had waited in silence as she told her story. While Jesse gave herself a few to collect herself before she pushed on with her story, she noticed a man sitting at the bar a couple stools down. He was staring down at the glass he was drinking out of. However, she got the impression that he was eavesdropping on what she was telling Kevin. She didn't care though. She didn't give a flying fuck anymore about anything.

"Well, by the time that came around, I had begun my cycle…or what I thought was my cycle. On my fourth day, I had cramps like you wouldn't believe. Then, I started bleeding like crazy. I went to the hospital. There, I found out that I was pregnant. However, by that point, I had lost the fetus. They got me into surgery. Aaron later told me that I had a blood transfusion during the surgery since I lost so much blood. I could've died from this."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Jesse." He said sincerely as he squeezed her shoulder. She smirked, though it didn't reach her eyes.

"Believe it or not, that's not the worst of it."

"It's not?"

"Nope"

"What is?"

"Well, last year, I had another miscarriage." She replied. "This time, I lose a lot more blood than last time. I could've given up trying to get pregnant after that, but oh no! I kept trying."

"Then, I go to the fertility clinic this past week." She stated, her voice beginning to quiver with anger. "I got results a couple days ago that my uterus is a hostile environment, and my chances of successfully carrying to term were very low. So…our options were adoption, in-vitro fertilization, or asking a woman to be a surrogate for us. I don't like the idea of in-vitro fertilization because I will not stick myself with any needle."

"Which I find amusing since you have no problem sticking a needle in patients" He remarked.

"Shut up" She snapped. He chuckled. "I don't want to ask some woman to be a surrogate for us. I was okay with adopting a kid. Aaron, on the other hand, didn't like any of those options. So, since I'm barren and he wants his own kids, he fucking dumped me!"

"I'm sorry Jesse."

"Ten fucking years down the drain because I can't biologically have children! Damn it to Hell!"

"I know it hurts, Jesse." He said softly as he began to make her a drink. "However, aren't you glad the asshole was against the idea of marriage? That way, you don't have to break off an engagement or go through a divorce with him. You just move out of his place."

"My place" She corrected him.

"Your place" He amended. She began to sniffle again while he continued to make her a drink. In less than a minute, he handed her a martini glass with a creamy green liquid in it.

"Here's your usual grasshopper" He told her as he set the glass down on a small napkin. "I can't bring myself to make that drink for you. I've seen it fuck you up. I prefer you to get drunk off of these than those."

"Thanks" She muttered dryly as she took a drink from her glass.

"Easy!" He said as he watched her polish off the drink.


	6. Chapter 6

"I want another please." She said, handing her empty glass to him.

Without question, he began to make her another Grasshopper. She heard the man next to her clear his throat.

"Bartender, can you put that drink on my tab?"

"Sure thing, Detective" Kevin replied as he continued to make Jesse's drink.

To the Detective, Jesse said "Thank you"

"You're quite welcome, Miss."

"What's your name?"

"Detective Mark Hoffman" The man replied. "You can call me Mark."

"My name is Nurse Jesse Anderson. You can call me Jesse."

They both chuckled. Kevin handed Jesse her drink. "Do you want another drink Detective?"

"Not right now"

"Alright, excuse me for a sec"

Kevin disappeared behind the door to the kitchen, leaving Jesse and Hoffman alone together.

"I've seen you at the hospital before, Jesse." He remarked.

"Now that I think of it, I've seen you there before."

"I'm sorry to hear your boyfriend is an ass."

"I'm sorry too."

She got off the stool and grabbed her drink. She walked up to him, set her drink down on the bar, and scrambled up onto the stool next to his. She felt his hand on her back as he helped her.

"Thank you"

"You're welcome"

She drained her drink in a couple gulps. "I want another."

"I agree with the bartender." He remarked. "You should go easy."

"I don't want to go easy. I want to drink until I feel numb emotionally."

She felt him put a hand on her shoulder. "Take it from me, sweet heart. Drinking doesn't help."

"Says the one that's also drinking"

He stared at her. His stare made her uneasy. There was something about his eyes that made her go on alert, but she couldn't put a finger on why. She decided to change the subject.

"So, why are you here? Or are you just in a mood to get drunk?"

"A little bit from column A and a little bit from column B"

"So, what is in column A?"

"This case I'm on is beginning to get to me."

"Which is….or is that classified?"

"No" He replied after he took a sip of whiskey. Fire shot down to his belly. "After all, the media knows about it."

"So, which case is it?"

"The Jigsaw Murders"

"Oh"

"I take it you've treated some of his victims."

"Yep"

"May I inquire who?"

"My boss"

"Who is?"

"Dr. Lawrence Gordon…he cut off his own foot to save himself."

The detective was silent for a moment. Then, he asked "Who else did you help treat?"

She thought for a bit. "Amanda Young and Daniel Mathews."

"Anyone else" He asked curiously.

Before she could reply, Kevin came back. "You want another, I presume?" He asked Jesse.

"You assumed correctly." She replied as he took her glass away to make another drink for her.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: Sorry if I kept re-editting this. This flashback is supposed to take place before <em>Saw 3<em>**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note: The following may be disturbing for some readers since it deals with disturbing content.**

* * *

><p>Kevin set another drink down in front of Jesse. "Go easy on that"<p>

"Will do" She muttered before she took a sip. She decided to follow Kevin's advice as she already felt a buzz…really buzzed.

"You didn't answer my question, nurse." Hoffman told her, sounding a bit impatient. "Did you treat anyone else?"

"No"

Hoffman nodded with content, and took a sip of Whiskey.

"I have to admit. I've seen worse."

Hoffman looked at her inquisitively. "Really? Do tell"

"Ever heard of the Skinner Murders?"

"No"

"Four years ago, a man had randomly abducted people and skinned them alive in the state I hailed from." She explained, beginning to feel nauseated by the gruesome memory. "If that wasn't bad enough, he would eat their skin. It was fucking disgusting."

"What happened to the guy?"

She snorted. "The sick fuck had pleaded for insanity. He got sent to an asylum for life rather than to prison."

"I take it that didn't satisfy you."

"I can't think of anyone that got satisfied by that ruling other than the killer."

"Did he have a nickname?"

"Yeah, the Skinner"

"How many people did he kill?"

"Well, the official death toll is twenty. However, they think he may have killed more than that. He had admitted he had been skinning people and eating their skin for four years."

"Damn" He said in disgust before he finished the rest of the whiskey.

"Tell me about it" She muttered.

He set the glass down, and tapped on the counter twice. "I would like another one bartender." He turned towards her. "Want another drink? It's on me."

She thought for a bit, looking at the green liquid in the glass in front of her. Finally, she shrugged. "Sure, make it an Irish coffee this time."

* * *

><p>"I remember you now." Jesse said to Hoffman. "We talked about the Skinner from my state."<p>

"I knew you would." He said with a wink, who was beginning to dig into the mashed potatoes with gravy.

She watched him eat the mashed taters with envy. She loved mashed potatoes. It was a shame that their captor wouldn't permit sharing. She could go for some mash right about now.

"I got a question." Kate asked curiously, interrupting her envious thoughts right now.

"What?"

"Why did you want to adopt my baby?"

"What a stupid question" Hoffman remarked dryly.

"I wasn't asking _you_." Kate snapped. She nodded her head towards Jesse. "I was asking _her_."

"No shit, Sherlock! However, asking someone why they want to adopt is still a stupid question."

"No, it's not!" Kate protested. "What the fuck do you think adoption agencies ask couples?"

"Still, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know the reason why someone wants to adopt."

"Will you please shut the fuck up?" She shouted at him. "I don't want to talk to you."

"So, stop talking then"

In a blink of an eye, Kate had leaped to her feet. She held a piece of concrete in her hand about the size of a small rock. She was aiming her hand at the detective. Anger and hatred flashed in her eyes. Her lips were pulled back in a snarl. She was breathing hard.

"Don't make me throw this at you because, trust me, I will if you don't shut the fuck up now."

The air was thick with tension. Jesse glanced back and forth between her two cell mates. Hoffman wisely kept his mouth shut (well, not really…he was still eating), although his eyes had that "I dare you" look in them. After a tense moment, Kate snorted and finally dropped the piece of concrete. Jesse let out a sigh of relief.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note: This chapter was a hard for me to write.**

* * *

><p>Kate sat back down on the floor again, her back against the wall. "I'm waiting for your answer, nurse."<p>

"I agree with the detective." Jesse told her dryly. "That question is stupid."

"Regardless how stupid it is, just answer it."

Jesse's eyes narrowed. She smiled, though it didn't reach her stormy blue eyes. "Fine…I'll answer your question if you answer mine."

Kate mirrored the same smile as the nurse. "Deal"

"I wanted to adopt your baby because I want to have a baby."

"Well, why can't you have your own?"

"I don't know." Jesse said sarcastically. "Maybe it's because it's not that easy to get pregnant and carry to term as some people make it out to be?"

"So, you expect fertile couples to make babies for you?"

Jesse raised an eyebrow. "Who said anything about me being infertile? I've gotten pregnant. I just had trouble carrying to term."

"How many times have you gotten pregnant?"

"Who knows?" Jesse replied, shrugging. "However, as far as I've know, I've been pregnant twice."

"Why did you lose the pregnancies?"

"The first time was from RH incompatibility. The second time…well, the doctors weren't sure."

"What is RH incompatibility?" Hoffman asked curiously, chiming in. Jesse turned her head to face him.

"It's when someone, who is RH-negative, has an immune system that starts producing anti-bodies to destroy RH-positive blood cells." She explained. "This happens when their blood mixes, which mostly occurs during blood transfusions and pregnancy."

"I see."

"My ex had a positive blood type." She went on. "Any pregnancy I would've conceived, the fetus would've gotten his blood type. Now, RH incompatibility doesn't usually affect the first pregnancy if the fetus is RH-positive while the mother is negative. It's any pregnancy after the first one that has problems."

"No offense nurse, but you sound like a professor in a lecture hall." Kate remarked dryly.

"I'm just explaining to you why I lost the first pregnancy." Jesse protested. "For fuck sakes, if you knew about RH incompatibility, you could've just said something so I wouldn't have wasted my breath."

"I would've been fine with just RH incompatibility, even if I didn't understand it."

"Well, how the fuck am I supposed to know that? I'm not a damn telepath."

Kate snorted. "Obviously"

Jesse glared at her before her grimace turned into a smile. "My turn"

"For what?"

"To ask my question"

"Ah…so, what's your question?"

"What the fuck possessed you to kill your own son and treat your daughter the way you did?" Jesse asked through gritted teeth.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's note: The content in this chapter can be disturbing and triggering to readers. **

* * *

><p>"I didn't mean to kill my son." Kate replied. Then, she shrugged indifferently. "However, he wouldn't shut the fuck up. He just cried and cried. It got on my nerves. So, I silenced him."<p>

Jesse's mouth dropped in horrified disbelief. "Un-fucking-believable"

"What?" Kate asked defensively. "What would you have done?"

"I don't know." She replied sarcastically, lifting her shoulders in a shrug. "I would've tried feeding him to see if he was hungry, or patting his back to see if he needed to burp. Maybe I would've checked his diaper to see if he needed a change. Or call my mom over to see if she could help me"

"I did all that!" Kate protested. "I tried to breast feed him, and he wouldn't shut the fuck up. I tried a bottle, which had the same result. I check the little bastard's diaper, and found nothing. I burped him, and he still wouldn't quiet down. I even rocked him! I did all these things, and the little booger would not shut the fuck up!"

"So, what happened to calling your mom for help?"

"My mom disowned me when I got pregnant with him!"

"Where's your father?"

"The sperm donor left my mom and I when I was only four."

"Did you have any relative to turn to?"

"No, I disowned them when none of them helped me."

Jesse felt a pang of sadness for the young woman. "I'm sorry."

"Don't pity me, nurse." Kate snapped. "I don't need it."

"What a shame" Jesse said dryly. "That could've been factored in my decision of who I'm going to save."


	10. Chapter 10

"I doubt you need to pity me to decide if you want to save me or not." Kate said coldly to Jesse. "You need to consider how many people have been killed by his hand and mine. I've only killed one person."

"Who was your son" Hoffman added dryly.

"Shut the fuck up!" Kate yelled at the detective.

Hoffman smirked at her. "Make me, bitch"

Kate retrieved the piece of concrete that she had threatened to hit Hoffman with earlier.

Hoffman's eyes caught hers, and he stared into them. "Wow, I'm totally scared now. Go ahead dear…take your best shot."

Kate smiled at him, though it didn't reach her eyes. "With pleasure"

She cocked back her arm to prepare to throw the piece of concrete at him. Jesse scrambled to her feet. Pain shot through her. She bit down on her lip, so she can take her mind off the pain in her legs. She raised her hand in protest.

"Don't!" She said, leaning against the wall for support. "If you hit him with that, I definitely won't choose you."

Kate shifted her feet, so that she was positioned to throw the piece of concrete at Jesse.

"Are you serious?" Jesse asked in disbelief.

"I don't need you to survive. If I hit you, we'll just get the keys from you."

"How will you accomplish that? You're too fucking far away to reach me. Both of you are."

Kate stiff posture began to relax as realization dawned on her. Hoffman's smirk widened.

"So, if you hit me with that and I don't regain consciousness in thirty minutes, we all die."

Kate dropped the piece of concrete. Defeated, she sat abruptly on the floor. She put her head in her hands. "Fuck"

"You said earlier that I should consider how many people you and the detective killed. What about the reasons why both of you killed your victims?" Jesse pointed out.

"I told you! My son wouldn't shut the fuck up! Have you ever heard the constant crying of a three-month-old? It's hard on the nerves!" Kate shouted.

"So, if you realized you had trouble taking care of your son, why the fuck didn't you call your friends?" Jesse demanded. "If you didn't have a friend to turn to, why the hell didn't you leave your son at a hospital or fire station? You know this state has safe haven laws. You wouldn't have been prosecuted if you left your child in the care of others."

"I felt it would've been irresponsible of me to do that." Kate replied, her voice breaking. She began to cry.

"So, you felt the most responsible thing to do was kill your son!" Jesse exclaimed, enraged. "How the fucking hell can you think killing your son was more fucking responsible than leaving him at the hospital or fire station? At least he would be alive! I doubt your sorry ass would be here too!"

"What would've you done in my situation, nurse?"

"I WOULD'VE LEFT THE KID AT THE HOSPITAL LIKE ANY SANE PERSON WOULD IF I FELT TEMPTED AT HARMING HIM!" Jesse roared in fury. "I WOULDN'T HAVE FUCKING KILLED HIM, THINKING IT WAS MORE RESPONSIBLE!" Emotionally exhausted, she collasped to the ground. Tears of anger, frustration, and grief spilled out onto her cheeks.


	11. Chapter 11

**Warning: This could be triggering for woman that have had miscarriages. Also, it's a bit graphic if you have an issue with blood.**

Hoffman, stirred by her emotion, instinctively got up to go to her side. Naturally, he didn't get far because of the chain around his ankle. He had wanted to do something that he hadn't done since his sister Angela was alive. He wanted to hold someone and comfort them. In this case, it was the young nurse Jesse.

He crawled as far as the chain would allow him to go. He ended up being a few inches away from her. He lay on his belly, and stretched his arm as far as it could go. His fingers barely reached her small, delicate hand.

She flinched when his fingers brushed her hand like she had been burned. He figured that his fingers felt like ice to her since he had been in the cold, dank bathroom for two weeks now. She relaxed as his fingers brushed back and forth on her hand lightly. She looked up into Hoffman's eyes.

Her beautiful stormy blue eyes were red from tears, Hoffman noted. He had also noticed that they looked incredibly haunted. He wondered if her conversation with Kate had triggered horrible memories for her, whether if it was her patients or something that she went through herself. Whatever it was, he was glad he couldn't read minds.

The agonized emotional pain that was etched out on her face made his heart wrench for the first time since Angela died.

* * *

><p>Jesse's conversation with Kate had shaken her to the core. It made her angry that the young woman had two children that she tossed away like yesterday's garbage by neglecting her daughter and murdering her son. She would've happily taken both of the children, and raised them as her own since she now knew she would never have kids of her own. It was the pain in that, which led her down the path of mentally reliving through her traumatic ordeal with her first miscarriage three years ago.<p>

_Aaron had been at work, and she was sitting on the couch watching TV. She had the day off from the hospital, although she was on standby. She had cramps since she woke up at six am to see Aaron off to work. She assumed they were menstrual cramps, even though she was on her last day despite she normally got them on the first two days. However, this had happened before so she didn't think anything odd about it._

_By seven am, the cramps were beginning to intensify. She muttered a few swear words as she made her way to the cabinet where she and Aaron kept the medicine. She took Tylenol and went back to bed, hoping to sleep off the pain. However, there was no chance in hell to sleep since the pain was beginning to spread to her back._

_For an agonizing hour, the pain went back and forth between her lower abdomen and her lower back in intervals. She went up to go to the bathroom. While on her way there, she felt something slip out of her and slid down the inside of her leg. She investigated the inside of her leg as she relieved her bladder. She saw nothing until near her ankle when she saw a drop of blood. When she stood up, she was horrified when she saw the toilet was filled with blood. Then, like someone turned on a faucet, blood ran down her legs in rivers._

_She squealed in horror, knowing that this wasn't normal. Luckily for her, it wasn't a continuous flow although blood kept being pumped out of her in intervals. She called 911._

_"911…how can I help you?"_

_"I need an ambulance." Jesse said as calmly as she could. "I'm losing blood."_

_"Where are you losing blood from ma'am?"_

_Jesse blushed in embarrassment. "My vagina"_

_"It sounds like you're on your period, ma'am."_

_Smart ass, Jesse thought dryly. "No offense, but I'm aware of the difference between the blood that comes out during a menstrual cycle and the blood that's coming out now. I am a nurse."_

_"Oh" There was a bit of a pause. "I'm sorry, nurse."_

_"It's okay. I wouldn't be surprised if you get calls like that."_

_"Tell me about it" The dispatcher agreed._

_Jesse nodded. She has gotten a couple of patients coming to the hospital complaining that they're bleeding when they were just menstruating since someone failed to tell them about menstrual cycles._

_"Can you give me your address, nurse?"_

_"Sure, I'm in room 20 at 606 Hazelnut Road."_

_"Thank you, nurse" The dispatcher said. "The ambulance is on it's way. Do you need any more assistance?"_

_"Not at the moment"_

_"Alright nurse…if you need anything, don't hesitate to call."_

_"Thank you" Jesse said before she hung up._


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Sorry about not working on this story for the last couple months. I hit a major's writer's block **

**Warning: This chapter may trigger those that have had miscarriages. It's also graphic, and people that have issues with blood may have a problem with it.**

* * *

><p><em>While she had sounded perfectly calm on the phone, panic was a living creature in her. Tears of fear spilled out of her eyes and down unto her cheeks. She knew she was on the verge of losing it, but she had to stay calm. If she let the panic consume her, she would make her blood pressure rise…which was not a good thing to do since it seemed she was already losing quite a lot of blood.<em>

_To keep herself calm, she decided to distract her mind while she got ready for the EMS to arrive. She knew it was useless, but she put on a pad so that her underwear wouldn't get very bloody. Then, she put on a pair of black sweats and a dark blue sweater. When she was dressed, she waited on a towel in the living room while wrecking her brain of what was causing her to lose blood vaginally._

_There were two suspected causes that she could come up with. One was a very rare complication associated with Conization, which was also known as a cone biopsy that women get after they get positive results on a second pap smear after the first one showed abnormal cell growth on the cervix. The complication is when small blood vessels in the cervix burst. The problem with this theory is that she has never had this procedure before. That left the ultimate suspect._

_She was having a miscarriage. Yet, she didn't think she was pregnant because she was having her period. If she had this problem a month earlier, where she didn't have a period, she would have no problems accepting that she was having a miscarriage._

_Don't you know, Jesse? Her mind chastised her. Many miscarriages happen when women think they are menstruating._

_She closed her eyes in defeat. That was the case with miscarriages because many women don't know that they're pregnant because they're too early in the term to suspect anything. She mentally wondered if she had any of the symptoms that she passed off for something else._

_As for the missed period she had last month, she had blame stress since that month was stressful because she worked many hours at the hospital. She remembered feeling very nauseated, but she blamed it on being lactose intolerant. She also recalled being very exhausted, but she assumed it was from working too much._

_The door bell ringing interrupted her thoughts. She slowly got up from the couch, and cringed as she felt another flow of blood slide down the inside of her thighs. She walked to the door. She looked into the peephole, and saw the paramedics. Then, she let them in._


	13. Chapter 13

**Warning: This chapter may trigger those that have had miscarriages. It's also graphic, and people that have issues with blood may have a problem with it.**

* * *

><p><em>She didn't remember much about the ride to the hospital. It was probably because she passed out while they put in an IV. They did get her to regain consciousness, but it was hard to stay awake since her body wanted to take a break as it was in shock. After she arrived at the emergency room, her fellow nurses took her blood pressure. Amazingly, despite the blood loss, it was still normal. Then, they wanted a urine sample to see if she was pregnant.<em>

_As she would later dub it as "The Bathroom Incident", it was the worst part out of her whole ordeal. Dr. Lynn Denlon had arrived just as her co-worker Brandy escorted her to the bathroom. It was weird how she was going to pee in front of her co-workers, but it needed to be done. She had released her muscles in her bladder to pee. However, instead of urine, blood came out. It filled the urine cup to the brim. Dr. Denlon immediately got on a cellular phone and handed the nurse another urine cup._

_"Dr. Gordon, we need you in gynecology." She said on the phone before she hung up._

_"She did pee, but it's heavily saturated with blood." Brandy told Dr. Denlon, holding up the urine sample._

_"Get it down to the lab." Dr. Denlon commanded calmly, wrapping an arm around Jesse's waist as she stood up. Brandy left the bathroom quickly, while Dr. Denlon helped Jesse back to the bed._

_Jesse had been amazed she didn't pass out from seeing all that blood come out of her as she climbed into the bed. However, if she didn't felt faintish before, she was about to feel faintish now. They inserted another IV. Other than the ringing in her ears that usually heralded the impending approach of a faint, she felt bile rose behind her throat._

_"I'm going to be sick." She warned weakly._

_Dr. Denlon grabbed a sick bag quickly, and put it in front of Jesse's mouth. She made it in time as the young nurse vomited right into the bag. Jesse winced when she saw that most of the contents of the putrid vomit had been made up of stomach acid. While vomiting had ward off the faint, she didn't feel any better since the back of her throat burned mildly from the stomach acid._

_She noticed now that her bed was surrounded by nurses, all people she has worked with. Concern expressions were etched out on their faces as they all raced to help save their colleague's life. A nurse named Sasha placed a lancet on her finger._

_Jesse groaned at the sight of the small needle about to pierce her skin. For someone who had no qualms of inserting needles into people's skins, she had a major issue when it came to her skin being puncture by a needle. "Aw, no more"_

_"Sorry Jesse" Sasha said apologetically. "We need a blood cell count."_

_Then, the needle slid into her skin. The pinch of the needle made her cringe slightly. However, luckily for her, the pain of the needle was very brief. Sasha collected the blood pooling out onto her finger. She put a cotton ball on the tiny wound to stop the small blood flow before putting a little band aid on it. Sasha left for the lab with the small blood sample. The sound of Dr. Denlon's cell phone ringing filled the air._

_"Hello" Dr. Denlon answered. After a moment, she said "I see. I will tell Dr. Gordon when he gets here. Thank you, good bye" She put her cell phone in the pocket of her jacket. "Kara, get the ultra sound."_

_"Yes, Doctor" Kara replied as she went to the corner of the room. She wheeled the cart that had the ultrasound machine up to the bed._

_Dr. Denlon grabbed the transvaginal ultrasound, and inserted it into Jesse's vagina. Jesse winced a bit since she felt swollen up there. Dr. Denlon watched the screen of Jesse's uterus. She saw the fetus on there, but she didn't hear any heartbeat. Dr. Denlon closed her eyes, and removed the ultrasound from her co-worker. She walked up to the side of the bed. She took Jesse's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze._

_"The lab said that the pregnancy test they put into the urine sample you provided came back positive." She explained. She sighed. "Unfortunately, when I used the ultra sound to see where the fetus was, I didn't hear a heartbeat. I'm sorry Jesse, but you lost the pregnancy."_

_Jesse gave her a weak smile. "It's okay." She tried to assure Dr. Denlon, even though she was choking up. "I didn't know I was pregnant."_

_"It's not okay, Jesse." Dr. Denlon told her gently, though firmly. "We need to get you into surgery to remove the fetus. If we don't, the contents in your uterus can become infected. If they do, it will become fatal."_

_"I know."_

_"Plus, you have lost a lot of blood Jesse. I have no idea how much, but I have a feeling that if we don't get you into surgery soon…you may lose more. You may need a blood transfusion too."_

_Jesse rested her head onto her pillow with defeat. "Whatever…just knock me out. I can't handle any more."_

_"I know, sweetie." Dr. Denlon said, wiping some strands of hair away from the young woman's forehead. "We're waiting for Dr. Gordon to arrive."_


	14. Chapter 14

_It didn't take Dr. Gordon long to arrive. He arrived two minutes after he was called to the room. He gave Jesse a friendly smile, and took her hand._

_"How is my fav-" He began, before his eyes met Carla's across the bed. "How's one of my favorite nurses?" He amended._

_Jesse's eyebrow rose, but she didn't inquire what his sudden correction meant. She didn't care at the moment, except becoming unconscious so she can give her mind a time out._

_"I could be better." She said dryly._

_"We'll make you well again." Dr. Gordon assured her, squeezing her hand. He left her side, and went to stand next to Dr. Denlon. "So, what's going on?" He asked the other doctor._

_"She needs a D&C." Dr. Denlon explained. "I did an ultrasound, but I didn't find a heartbeat. The fetus looks to be between eight to ten weeks. She needs to get into surgery now because I fear she's going to lose more blood if she doesn't. It's like her body is doing everything it can to flush out the fetus while it's making her lose her own blood supply at the same time."_

_"I see." Dr. Gordon remarked, which sounded a bit bland and emotionless. "Let's get her to the operation ward."_

_After the two doctors made sure all the instrument trays were moved out the way, they rushed her to an operating room with the help of two nurses. They wheeled her in there where she met Aaron. His short black hair was covered with a cap while he wore a blue apron._

_"Aaron!"_

_"Are you okay, Jesse?" He asked concernedly as he took her hand. She had never seen him look so worried before._

_"For the most part"_

_"They told me you miscarried."_

_"Yeah, I did." She said solemnly._

_"They also said you need a blood transfusion."_

_"I do." She said as Dr. Denlon put a cap on her head._

_"We're about to put her under." Dr. Denlon told them._

_"Okay" Aaron said as he squeezed her hand. "You ready?"_

_"Yes, bring it on"_

_"Here we go" The anesthetist said as he injected the general anesthetic into the IV that was inserted into the crook of her arm. "You may feel a tingly sensation in your arm."_

_It didn't take long for her right arm to tingle a bit. She wiggled her hand. "I'm beginning to feel the tingles."_

_"Good" the anesthetist said as he put an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose. "Now, I want you to count back from ten."_

_"Ten, nine, eight, seven…"_

_Then, she was out like a light. She didn't regain consciousness until four hours later when the surgery was over. She woke up with oxygen tubes in her nose as well as being hooked up to a heart monitor and the IVs._

* * *

><p>Jesse felt her mind slowly return to her. In a way, she wished it didn't. She was still locked away in this dingy bathroom with two people that have committed murder. On the other hand, she didn't feel like remembering that horrible day years ago when she had her first miscarriage. Besides, she needed to stay focus now as her eyes wondered to the clock on the wall. She had fifteen minutes left to decide.<p>

"Are you okay?" Detective Hoffman asked her, his voice filled with concern. His fingers were still on her hand. She drew her hand away from his.

"Not really" She replied honestly. "However, I have bigger fish to fry right now than dealing with the demons of my past."

"Like what?" Kate asked her curiously.

Jesse raised an eyebrow. "Like deciding which person I chose to live"

"How is that a problem? Just choose me"

Hoffman rolled his eyes. "I doubt she'll choose a child killer."

"I doubt she'll choose a wannabe Jigsaw killer."

Hoffman snorted. "I am not a wannabe. I managed to carry out his work for a year after he died."

"Oh, wow" Kate said sarcastically. "Do you want a medal or something?"

"I don't want a medal. However, I won't object to seeing your putrid corpse lying in that spot months from now."

"Funny, that's what I want too. The only difference is that it's your corpse."

As the detective and young woman continue to banter, Jesse's mind wondered again. It didn't go to the past though. Instead, another thought dawned on her when her eyes had wandered to the manacle around Kate's foot. She noticed the keyhole. She didn't see any keys in the bag. So, if she needed a key to get these manacles off, where was it?

"Shit!" She spat.


	15. Chapter 15

Hoffman and Kate ceased their arguing when they heard Jesse curse. Both of them looked at her with concern.

"What's wrong?" Kate asked her curiously.

She looked up at them with an expression of horror etched out across her face. "How am I supposed to save either of you if there's no key? Even if I pick one of you to live, I doubt the manacle is going to magically come off."

"There wasn't any key in the bag?"

Jesse rolled her eyes. "Do you seriously think I would be having a nipple pinchie if there was a key in the bag? No!"

"Nipple pinchie" Hoffman mused. "What an interesting term"

Kate snorted. "How the fuck was I supposed to know there wasn't any key in the bag?" She turned her attention back to Hoffman. "Was there any key hidden in the food?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes, there was a key in the food." He said sarcastically. "That's why we're still locked up in this fucking bathroom."

"Oh, you suck"

"I may suck, but I bet you swallow."

Kate squeezed her eyes shut, and groaned. "Uh, you're unbelievable!"

"Right back at ya, babe" Hoffman countered. "I mean…use that brain of yours for a change. If there was any key seriously in the food, there wouldn't be any reason for Nurse Jesse to decide who lives. She would've made the choice just by giving us the bag. However, the bag of food was one test. The other test is for her to decide who lives." He paused briefly, "And who dies".

"Ah, of course you know how the game is played." Kate said coldly. "You've conducted these games before, you blood thirsty jack ass."

"And that proves you don't know anything about Jigsaw"

"All I need to know is that he was a serial killer."

"He never killed anyone directly. It was all indirect."

"Doesn't fucking matter…he helped in the tragic deaths of many people. All of it being horrific and gruesome!"

"Actually, it does matter." Hoffman pointed out. "Here's how I know why. He fucking recruited me to be his accomplice because he was fucking pissed off that I blamed him for killing my sister's killer when I was the one that did it. He even gave me a huge lecture about how wrong it is to kill people. So, no… Jigsaw didn't kill people because he thought it was for fun or he enjoyed the blood lust. He did it because most of the people that died at his hand did shit that hurt themselves as well as others. He wanted to test people to see if they cherished their life."

"Well, who the fuck died and made him the authority to decide that?"

Before the argument could get any more heated, Jesse interjected.

"Normally, I wouldn't care that you two are arguing like an old married couple." She remarked dryly. "However, considering I have no idea where the keys are, we're all going to die unless I think about how to get us out of this situation. So, since I need to think, please shut the fuck up"


	16. Chapter 16

"Don't tell me to shut the fuck up!" Kate shouted at Jesse. The young nurse raised an eyebrow at her in amusement.

"I believe I just did, so shut it unless you would like to die along with the detective and I."

"Fuck you"

"Fuck you too, darling"

Out of the blue, Hoffman began clapping. "Bravo! The nurse has spunk! I love spunky girls."

"Oh, that wouldn't surprise me." Kate remarked dryly. "You probably go after little girls, don't you Detective?"

"Actually, I prefer women. Not little girls like yourself"

Kate's mouth dropped in surprise at the insult. She shrugged indifferently, and shook her head slightly. "Whatever…Jesse, I'll grant you silence. Only because I want to get the fuck out of here and get away from this asshole"

"You'll only get out of here if she picks you." Hoffman pointed out. Kate rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, whatever" Kate said indifferently. "Let us have the bitch think, so all three of us don't die"

"Thank you, Kate" Jesse said dryly

"You're welcome."

Everyone became silent as Jesse began to think. The obvious scenario is that the keys had to be hidden in the bathroom with them. The question is where? From where she sat on the floor, her eyes roamed the bathroom. She thought about how each space could be used as a hiding space for a pair of keys. Finally, she spoke up.

"I have an idea."

"That was fast." Hoffman remarked.

"The keys must be hidden in this room. I suggest that we divide the search into three areas. Both of you would search the area that you're held in. When you can't reach a certain point, I will take over. How does that sound?"

"That sounds like a plan." Kate said with content.

"I second that notion." Hoffman added.

"Sweet, let's begin" Jesse said as she gained to her feet. She let out a small cry of pain.

"Are you okay?" Kate asked her with concern. She noticed that the nurse's face became pale.

"The pain in my leg is becoming worse." Jesse replied, taking deep breaths.

"Please don't pass out on us, Jesse." Kate begged.

"I'll try hard not to." Jesse assured as she kept herself against the wall, using it as leverage as she began to search in the area she had been in for the last forty-five minutes.

Hoffman grudgingly checked the toilet, which took a lot for him not to get sick when he checked the bowl. He made sure to check the back of it too where Adam Faulkner had found the saws years ago and the bathtub.

Jesse looked in the shower stall, the sinks, the broken mirror, and the urinals that Kate wouldn't have been able to reach.

Kate looked in the other urinal. She also checked out the hole that had been in the wall. She felt her heart flutter with excitement when she saw a small box within it.

"I found them!" She exclaimed joyfully. She pulled the box out of the hole. She sat down on the floor and put the box in her lap. She opened it. Her smile faded as Jesse joined her side.

"What is it?"

"It's just a scalpel."

Jesse took the box from Kate, who didn't try to stop her. Her face was heavy with disappointment.

"What would we need a scalpel for?" Jesse inquired as she took the medical instrument out of the box to examine it.

"Isn't it obvious?" Hoffman replied dryly. "We need it to cut something open."

"Like what?" Kate asked numbly.

Jesse sat abruptly on the floor as an unpleasant thought hit her like a freight train. "Like a fresh open wound" She looked down at the twin blood stains that marred her scrubs on her upper legs.


	17. Chapter 17

Kate's face drained of color. "Someone has to use the scalpel to cut open a fresh wound?"

"Yes" Hoffman replied solemnly. "The keys are most likely in one of us."

"Oh, my God"

"There's only one person that I can see who has a fresh wound." Hoffman looked at Jesse. She looked up at him with a look of horror on her face.

"Me" She said softly.

Kate's expression on her face transformed immediately. "That's great!" She said happily. She patted Jesse's arm. "Since you have flesh wounds, start cutting nurse!" Jesse looked over her with a look of disgust on her face.

"You have no soul, do you?"

"Of course, I have one." Kate countered lightly. "I'm just happy it's not me that has to be cut open."

"Yet, you couldn't feel sorry for Nurse Jesse who has to be cut open?" Hoffman asked dryly.

"I do feel sorry."

"You have an interesting way of showing it."

"I can't cut myself open." Jesse remarked numbly, interrupting before the young woman and detective could argue again.

"Why can't you?" Kate asked curiously. "You cut other people open."

"Doctors cut people open." Jesse corrected. "Only sharp object I use on other people is needles."

Jesse's conversation with Kate made Hoffman suddenly remember something from years ago when she was at the bar after her then-boyfriend had dumped her.

"_I don't like the idea of in-vitro fertilization because I will not stick myself with any needle." Jesse had said_.

_ "Which I find amusing since you have no problem sticking a needle in patients" The bartender named Kevin remarked._

"She won't use the scalpel on herself." Hoffman pointed out.

"Why is that?" Kate asked skeptically.

"I'm afraid of any sharp object penetrating my body." Jesse replied. "That's why I can't stick myself with a needle."

"It was the major reason why you didn't want to do IVF treatment." Hoffman added.

"Yes, it was. I'm surprised you remembered that."

"So, what are we going to do since the nurse is not willing to cut herself open?" Kate inquired impatiently. She looked at the clock. "We got eight minutes left."

"I could do it." Hoffman volunteered.

"Oh, I'm sure you could. You would probably do more than cut her open. You would probably cut her throat too."

Hoffman raised an eyebrow. "So, you would be able to cut her open?"

"Hell no!" She raised her hand at him, so he could see her newly polished nails. "I just got a manicure. No way in fucking hell am I going to mess this up."

"Isn't it nice Nurse how Kate values her manicure more than our lives?"

"Yes, it is." Jesse agreed coolly as she gained to her feet. She whimpered as pain shot through her as she walked back to the center of the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" Kate demanded, attempting to grab Jesse's ankle as she walked away. However, Jesse raised a foot in a threat that she would kick Kate in the face if she successfully apprehended her. Kate wisely withdrew her hand, not liking the look in the nurse's eyes.

"I'm going back to where I came from originally, so I can make a choice." Jesse replied angrily. "I don't want all three of us to die."

"So, who are you going to choose to live?" Hoffman asked her.

Jesse lost her footing as the pain in her legs overcame her. She fell in the place that she had woken up an hour ago. She gritted her teeth against the pain, so she can forced herself to think of who she was going to save.

She looked back at Kate. The woman was in her early twenties, had two children, killed one of them, neglected the other to the point where her daughter died as a result of malnutrition, and cared more about herself than anyone else.

Then, Jesse looked at Hoffman. The detective was in his late forties, had no children, killed many people directly and indirectly, and was an accomplice to Jigsaw. Yet, he seemed to have the ability to care about people. Well, some people…she corrected herself. However, that was better than not caring at all.

Who was she going to choose, the rogue detective or the young self-centered selfish mother? She needed a decision, and she had to decide now.


	18. Chapter 18

After a few minutes of deliberation, Jesse finally came to a decision. "Both"

"What?" Hoffman asked, dumbfounded.

"I choose both of you to live." Jesse said softly, defeat evident in her voice.

"Yes!" Kate said happily, quickly gaining to her feet. She happily clapped her hands. "Thank you so much for giving me a chance, nurse."

"Yeah, glad to help" Jesse mumbled.

On one hand, she was glad that she was saving two lives. Sure, most people would think Detective Hoffman and Kate shouldn't deserve to have a second chance for what they have done. However, she wasn't judge, jury, or executioner. She was a nurse. It was her job to help preserve people's lives, even if she thought they did some pretty heinous and immoral shit. Let people that make it their job to prosecute those that committed those heinous crimes deal with people like Hoffman and Kate.

This must be a sign that she wasn't practicing what she was preaching about how she wouldn't save the life of the murderer. It was good though, in her opinion. If the medical community started saving people based on how well they behaved, that could become dangerous. It was the medical community's job to save people, not become the morality police.

Yet, opposite of feeling happy for saving both of her cell mates' lives, she felt sad that her life will be ending to save theirs.

Taking a deep breath, she slid the scalpel to Hoffman. It landed directly in front of him. He picked it up from the floor.

"Are you ready?" He asked her concernedly.

"Yes" She replied softly.

She winced as she slid across the ground on her butt in a pike position because it hurt too much to crawl and walk. Hoffman sat on the floor with his legs crossed. She put her legs up on his. She pulled the cuffs of her pants up, so that Hoffman would be able to see each wound on each leg. She almost became sick when she saw them.

On both of her upper legs was a deep incision that was loosely stitched up. She could understand now why it felt so painful. The cut was almost to her bone, and it was deep to put a key there. The smell that came off it made her feel nauseated. She could smell blood, tissue, and ammonia.

"Shit" She said weakly as nausea rolled over her. Her eyes filled with tears.

Hoffman cupped her cheek, and looked at her with sympathy. He bent his head, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Thank you" He said to her softly.

"Don't mention it" She said briskly. She lay back down on the floor. "Let's get this over with."

"Your wish is my command."

Jesse looked over at Kate on the other side of the bathroom. She was on her knees, leaning forward as much as she can. Her eyes were wide in a mixture of morbid fascination and giddiness…probably because Jesse decided to let her live. There couldn't be any way in hell that she would get off on someone about to be cut open without any anesthesia to numb the pain. Of course, considering how Kate was, she shouldn't be surprised either.

Jesse looked back up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes, and braced for the pain that was going to come her way because there was going to be tons of it.

Hoffman took the scalpel, and began to cut open the incision on her upper right leg. Jesse whimpered as she felt the stitching being tugged lightly as the detective cut each piece of string open. When he was done, he set the scalpel down. He rubbed her leg gently.

"If that didn't hurt, this will" He warned her. She nodded in acknowledgement, bracing herself for the worst to come.


	19. Chapter 19

Hoffman took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to do. He slid a finger into the deep incision. Jesse winced and let out a groan of pain. He felt around in the wound to see if he could feel the key. All he felt so far was blood, tissue, and muscle. He glanced up at Jesse's face, which was covered in both of her hands as she tried to smother her cries.

It pained him to hurt her. He didn't want to hurt the nurse. He wanted to hurt the fucking bitch that was kneeling on the floor across the room from him, smiling like a kid in a candy shop as she watched him prod around for the key in the nurse's leg. Kate was truly sadistic. He felt angry that Jesse chose to save her too along with him. He didn't feel like Kate deserved to live, especially since it seemed she didn't learn a single lesson. It was all about her, no one else.

The anger he felt caused his fingers to probe Jesse's wound a little more aggressively than he intended. She began to scream.

"I'm sorry." Hoffman said sympathetically as he made his fingers less aggressive.

All Jesse could do right now was sob in pain. Huge tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn't make her mind think about anything else right now as pain had engulfed her senses. She was beginning to feel clammy and her ears began to ring. She hoped to hell that she would pass out soon. She didn't want to feel anything else anymore. The good news about becoming unconscious would be that she wouldn't be awake when the timer on her cuffs went off. She could be having a good dream when she slowly bled to death as the razors in the cuffs slit her wrists.

Hoffman's added another finger to make his other fingers go deeper. It wasn't until his middle, pointer, and ring finger were completely submerged in the incision that he finally felt the key. He slowly pulled the key from the wound. Jesse screamed and squirmed on the floor more as he withdrew the key. Finally, the pain got her and she passed out.

"Thank God she's finally out!" Kate said happily. "I was getting sick of her screaming."

Hoffman flashed her look full of contempt as he lifted Jesse's legs off of his and gently set them back on the floor. He took the key and put it into the keyhole on his manacle. He unlocked it, and threw the chain against the wall near him. It hit the toilet with a bang. He quickly looked down at his ankle. There was a red circle around his ankle where the manacle had been. The skin in this area was raw too.

"I'm finally fucking free!" He exclaimed triumphantly.

"Good" Kate said sarcastically. "Now, get me free"

Hoffman picked up the scalpel again, and cut opened the stitches on Jesse's left upper leg. He put the same three fingers that he put into this incision like he did with the other. In no time, he had the other key and carefully removed it.

Kate stood up, expecting him to come over to her and undo the lock on the manacle around her ankle. However, she frowned when she saw him trying to unlock the cuffs on Jesse's wrists.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Kate demanded angrily. "She decided both of us should live."

Hoffman ignored her. As he tried to unlock the cuffs around Jesse's wrists, he realized that the key he had wasn't the right one. It was too big for the keyhole on the cuffs. It was the same size as the one that released the manacle around his ankle. He glanced at Kate finally.

He noticed something that he didn't earlier. There was a small dark crimson stain on top. He had originally thought it was blood from when her nose got busted when she fell on her face an hour ago. However, what nose bleeds that much to make a stain that big? He smirked.

"I'm taking over the game now." He stated.

"Bull shit!" She snapped.

"Bull true" He countered as he retrieved the scalpel. He rushed over to her.

"What are you doing?" She asked, suddenly afraid.

"Game over" He said, before he took the scalpel and slashed her throat with it.


	20. Chapter 20

Blood spilled out over the laceration that Hoffman made across Kate's throat. She wrapped her hands around her neck to stem the blood flow while she choked on the coppery substance. However, since her head had been bowed down to try to prevent the blood loss, she didn't see the detective pull back his arm and stab her right in the chest.

It was a futile effort, but she covered the new wound with one hand while she kept the other one across her throat. She was still choking, but it wasn't intense any more like it had been. Probably because her brain was more focus that she was losing oxygen since Hoffman stabbed her in the chest where her right lung was. She gasped for air.

Then, the bastard stabbed her once more time. This time, it was in the stomach. Fuck, she was screwed! She crumbled to the floor, her body becoming drained of blood and oxygen. Her last thought was as death claimed her was why the fuck did the nurse choose this sadistic killer over her.

Hoffman smirked when Kate gave her last breath. Blood drenched the young woman as it poured out of three wounds. He mentally shook his head when he noticed that she died with her eyes open. He hated that! It felt like he was being watched, even though he knew no one was home any more. He reached down and slid his hand down her lids, so that they were close.

He looked up at the clock. He had only five minutes left to get those cuffs off of Jesse's wrists before the timer went off. Of course, he didn't know if she was still alive or dead. Retrieving the key from Kate's freshly new corpse could prove to be futile, but he didn't want to leave the nurse in the bathroom with those cuffs on…even if she was dead. She didn't deserve that.

Luckily for him, he had been wise not to stab Kate anywhere near the blood stain on her top that he saw before he killed her. He pulled the top up. There was an incision in the middle just below the rib cage close to her stomach. Taking the scalpel, he sliced open the fresh wound. He jammed his fingers into the incision, and felt happy with his fingers brushed the key. He pulled the key out of the wound along with some guts. He got to his feet, and leered down at the body before him.

"Rest in peace, bitch" He spat at it.

He returned to Jesse's side. Laying two fingers against her throat, he checked her pulse. He smiled. She was still alive.

Kneeling beside her, he took the key from Kate's body and inserted in the keyhole on the cuffs. He felt joy when the key fit. He removed each cuff from Jesse's forearm. He noticed there was a long, red line down each of her arms where the blades in the cuff had pressed into.

He gathered the unconscious nurse into his arms, and lifted her up from the floor. He was thankful she wasn't heavy. It was like lifting up a child. Then again, she was much smaller than him.

He turned around when he heard the entrance to the bathroom slide open. He walked out of that bathroom with Jesse in his arms. He felt rejoice that he was finally free from that hell hole as he walked down the long, dank, dark corridor. He hoped to hell he would never be down here again. Let alone, at this blasted place. He was done with the games. Done with Jigsaw

He would drop Jesse off at the hospital. Considering she was a nurse there, she would have no problems getting seen fast. After all, she was Dr. Gordon's nurse. Then, he would go by his apartment and pack up. He would leave this fucking place behind, and never look back. Hell, he might even change his identity and get a new name.

Unfortunately for him, he didn't notice the dark figure approaching him from behind with a pig mask on. The figure stunned Hoffman with a stun gun. He dropped Jesse onto the floor, and lost consciousness as he went down.


	21. Chapter 21

The light had been bright as Jesse got closer to it. Then, all a sudden, she felt like she was being pulled away from the bright light by an unseen rope around her waist.

Her eyes fluttered open. She looked up at the tiled ceiling, a familiar sight since she saw it all those times after coming to from surgery. Her head throbbed in pain. She winced as she turned her head to the left. She saw the window with a small lamp on the ledge. There was also the IV, which the tube led straight into the vein on her hand.

She looked to her right, and saw her boss sitting next to her on the chair by the bed. He was asleep.

How did she get here? Last thing she remembered was Hoffman trying to find the key in the incision with his fingers and the pain that wreck her body from it. She took a deep breath as she braced herself for what she may say when she looked down at herself.

She didn't see anything out of the ordinary. There was a monitor on her pointer finger on her right hand. There was a dark red line imprinted on the inside of each of her forearm. It wasn't until she moved her legs a bit that she felt dull pain. While the pain hadn't been intense like it was in that dingy bathroom, it was still enough for her to gasp.

Gordon woke up when he heard it. He smiled at her. "You're up."

"Just got up" She said hoarsely. Her throat felt sore and dry.

"How are you feeling?"

"I could be better."

He nodded towards her legs. "How's the pain?"

"It's dull."

"We gave you a shot of morphine two hours ago." He told her. "I guess you could use another dosage."

"That would be awfully nice. Motrin would be great too since I have a killer headache."

"Coming right up" He said, his smile widening. He pressed the button on the wall above the bed to signal the nurse's station.

"Yes?" A female's voice asked on the intercom. Jesse recognized the voice. It was Carla.

"Nurse Jesse is awake now." Gordon replied. "She needs Motrin and a small dosage of morphine."

"I'll be there in a bit."

Gordon turned to Jesse. "It looks like you went through some ordeal, nurse."

"I did."

"You want to talk about it?"

"Not really, but I guess I would feel better getting it off my chest."

"What happened?" Gordon asked curiously, sitting in the chair again.

"I woke up in this bathroom that could use a really good cleaning." She began. "I don't remember how I got there. The last thing I remember before that was…"

_She had been driving home from the store. She was going through a horrible episode of depression. Rose, the baby she wanted to adopt, had died. She didn't want to be a nurse any more after coming to the conclusion she would never help anyone that hurts or kills anyone. So, she went to the store to get some ice cream…chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, to be exact. She also got a twenty-four pack of Pepsi Max, a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, a bag of nacho chips, a big jar of hot salsa, a medium jar of jalapenos, a bottle of hot sauce, and a bottle of ranch dressing. _

_ When she would get home, she would make a phone call for pizza delivery. She would mix the ranch dressing and buffalo hot sauce in a small bowl to dip her pizza slices into. Then, she would snack like a little pig like she always did when she was depressed. _

_ She got home, and put all of her groceries away. Then, she went into the bedroom to change into something comfortable. For her, that was black sweat pants and a black hoodie. She pulled a pair of fuzzy black socks on her feet. Then, she walked into the kitchen to call for pizza. _

_ She didn't know anyone had been in the apartment with her. She didn't hear any footsteps. She had been put on hold when someone grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth with a soaked clothed, which she later concluded in the bathroom that was drenched in chloroform. _

A half hour later, she had told Gordon everything that had happened in the bathroom until she passed out when Hoffman was trying to get the keys from the incisions. Jesse knew the story upset her boss as he ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair.

"Wow Jesse…it sounds like you've been to Hell and back."

"I know." She agreed. "It's not the first time though."

"I realized that. You're one tough cookie, nurse. That's all I got to say about that."

"I may be a tough cookie, Doctor, but there's so much I can take before I crack from the pressure of it all."

"That's why I have scheduled you to see Dr. Johnson three times a week for the next month." He informed her. "He's a very good therapist, and helped me get over my traumatic experience with Jigsaw. And don't worry about the costs. I've paid for it."

"Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome, Jesse." He said as he stood up. "It's time for me to go home, and for you to get some more rest. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, doctor" Jesse said as she closed her eyes. She had gotten tired from reliving her hell as well as the drugs they gave her for the pain and headache.

"Bye Jesse" Gordon said as he left her room.


	22. Chapter 22

Hoffman slowly opened his eyes to the steady sound of beeping in the background. He remembered being shocked before he passed out. He was fearful of waking up in that cold, dark, dank bathroom again. He was still in a dark room, but it wasn't the bathroom. He felt a moment of relief before it returned to fear. He knew he was still in the meat plant because he could still smell the metallic scent of metal from the meat hooks and the coppery scent of old blood.

As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he saw he was in a hospital bed. A thick blanket covered him. He looked to his left, and saw an IV inserted into the crook of his arm. He couldn't see his left hand because it was beneath the blanket. However, he felt a monitor on his pointer finger. He finally realized that the beeping sound he heard earlier was the sound of the monitor.

He felt his heart start to pump a bit harder when he felt something around his wrist. He pulled at it, but whatever it was kept his wrist there. He felt the same thing around his right wrist. He tried to pull his right wrist away from that spot, but it was held fast too.

"Good evening, detective" A cool male voice said. He could see a dark figure standing in front of the bed.

There was a click, and soft light filled the room. The dark figure had been Dr. Gordon. His hand was on the cane he used since he cut off his foot when he did his test for John.

"You" Hoffman growled.

"Nice to see you too" Gordon said sarcastically as he took a seat beside the bed. "I've given you a lot of fluids through your IV because you had severe dehydration. I also gave you two food tubes to help since you're malnourished too."

"No shit, Sherlock"

"You should be grateful to me, detective."

"Yeah…why is that?"

"I could've turned you in to the police since you're wanted now." Gordon said casually, though there was steel in his voice. "Or, I could've returned you to that bathroom once more. I would've chained you closer to that corpse of that young mother, so you could have food."

Hoffman felt bile rose in the back of his throat. He mentally shook himself. "Why didn't you?"

Gordon shrugged. "Jesse chose you. I respect her choice. Too bad you didn't respect hers."

"I wasn't going to let her die."

"Why is that?" Gordon inquired. "Since when have you ever given a damn about anyone, but yourself?"

"I think you know the answer to that question too, Doctor." Hoffman replied dryly. "However, I will humor you with my answer. She cherishes life. She gives a damn about others beside herself. She will go far to sacrifice herself to save others. That's admirable, which is why she deserved to live and that fucking cunt deserved to die."

"You're right. Jesse does deserve to live over Kate. However, would've it been right to honor Jesse's wish by saving Kate? You know I wouldn't have let Jesse died. As soon as you would've walked right out the bathroom with Kate, I would've gone in there and save Jesse's life."

"How the fuck was I supposed to know that?" Hoffman snarled. "You are a doctor. Yet, you go against your fucking Hippocratic Oath by locking me in a fucking bathroom to starve to death."

"Hey, I made a promise to John if something happened to Jill." Gordon pointed out calmly. "Guess what? You killed Jill. So, I had to exact vengeance on you for killing her."

"I don't think you're sticking to that promise since you're treating me now." Hoffman countered. "Something changed your mind about keeping John's promise. What happened?"

Gordon looked down, and took a deep breath. "I broke a promise of his."

"That's apparent."

"Not the one about Jill" He said dryly. "I broke the one about Jesse."


	23. Chapter 23

Hoffman narrowed his eyes at Gordon. "Jesse? What about her?"

Gordon shrugged. "John knew her because she would be there sometimes with me when we needed to perform scans on his brain, or some procedure like a biopsy. He thought she was a very kind, thoughtful, caring person. John liked Jesse a lot."

He gained to his feet slowly, using the cane to help him up. He hobbled over to the window and looked out.

"Jesse always volunteered to hold his hand when he was about to have a biopsy, or something that would cause him great discomfort." He continued. "Whenever John would squeeze her hand too tight because the procedure we would perform on him caused him pain, Jesse just grinned and bears it like it didn't bother her. She would talk to him to get his mind off things, or ask him how he was doing. He would later tell me he wished I had been like that in the beginning…before my test."

Gordon sighed and hung his head. He looked unnerved about what he was about to say. "However, what John didn't tell me while he was helping me recover from my test was he had tested Jesse before."

Hoffman's mouth dropped in surprise. "Why?"

Gordon snickered, though there was no humor in it. "Oh, she wasn't a test subject like I had been. She was a pawn."

"For who?"

"Did she ever tell you about a serial killer named the Skinner?"

Hoffman nodded.

"Well, he was her step-father."

"What the fuck?"

"Yep"

"How did John find out about the Skinner?"

Gordon's mind went back the year before he was tested.

* * *

><p><em>John had been lying on his side in a fetal position. He wore a hospital gown as Gordon wanted to perform a few more tests on him to make sure the cancer hadn't spread anywhere else. Today, they were going to check on John's brain stem by doing a biopsy on it. Gordon had already numbed the area with a general anesthetic, so his patient wouldn't feel much. <em>

_ Jesse had stood in front of John. She had on a mask and gloves as well as an operation smock that Gordon had on too. She held John's hand. _

_ "How is Jill doing?" She had asked curiously. Jesse had been working the night that Jill had miscarried Gideon. _

_ "She's still depressed."_

_ "I don't blame her." Jesse had remarked. "I'm still trying to get over my miscarriage. The best thing you could do is not rush the grief."_

_ "I'll tell her that." John had said, wincing a bit as he felt pressure on the back of his hand. He squeezed Jesse's hand harder. _

_ "It's okay." Jesse had assured him, patting his hand with her free hand. "Just take deep breaths. Are you feeling faint?"_

_ "No"_

_ "That's good. Tell me if you start to feel faint."_

_ John had nodded. His eyes came across her wrist of her free hand. He saw two long white scars on each side of her wrist. _

_ "What happened to your wrist?" He had inquired. _

_ His question had caught her off guard. "Uh, nothing" She had stammered. _

_ "Are you sure?"_

_ She had looked at Gordon. His eyes looked at her with concern before he returned his attention to the back of John's head. _

_ "My step-father did that to me."_

_ "Why is that?"_

_ "He's a serial killer!" She had cried, losing her usual calm demeanor. "I watched him kill my mom in front of me! He killed her because she thought she was a nag and a controlling woman! All she did was caught him cheating on her and stealing money from her bank account. So, one night, he drugged her and skinned her alive. Then, he forced me to watch him eating parts of her. He threatened to make me wish I was never born if I told anyone. So, until I was sixteen, I didn't. I wish I did now. He molested me. He made me watch him kill other people the same way he did my mom. He made me try some human flesh. He threatened to skin me alive and eat me too! They put him away after I reported it when I was sixteen."_

_ "After I was taken away from him, they put me into a mental institution because I was heavily traumatized by what I saw." She had continued. "I didn't leave until I was nineteen. I moved away from where I grew up to get away from the memories and from him. I became a nurse. I wanted to help people. I wanted to save people's lives since I saw many die in front of me."_

_ She had taken a deep sigh. "Unfortunately, my step-father escaped from prison a couple years ago. He followed me. Rather than go after me directly, he wanted me to suffer by making sure I got patients that were skinned alive. He wanted me to relive my hell. I moved away again, and changed my name from Jesse Lansing to Jesse Anderson. My bio father's last name was Anderson. He had died before I was born."_

_ John had given her a serious look. "Where is he now?" _

_ "The police aren't sure." She had replied, tears spilling out of her eyes. "However, they don't think he's far away from here. It's only a matter of time before he catches up."_

_ "Do you have a picture of him?" John had asked curiously. "You know, so I know to stay away from him if I see him." At the time, Jesse had thought that was a joke. She smiled at him._

_ "Sure"_

_ "Jesse, why don't you leave so you can collect yourself?" Gordon had suggested. _

_ "Thank you, Doctor" To John, she had said "See you later, John"_

_ Jesse had walked out of the room. Dr. Gordon had walked around, and stood in front of John. _

_ "I didn't mean to bring anything up." John had said apologetically._

_ "It's okay." Gordon had assured him. "It took your mind off the procedure. You're done now. Nurse Carla will take you back to your room."_

"Jesse had given John a picture of her step-father after he had gotten back to his room." Gordon told Hoffman. "She didn't know that John was Jigsaw and that she set her step-father up to be a test subject."


	24. Chapter 24

"Jesse didn't know where her step-father was." Hoffman pointed out to Gordon. "How did John find him?"

"That's the interesting part." Gordon replied with a smirk. "John knew him."

"How the fuck did John know him?"

"Through Jill"

"What does Jill have to do with this?"

"I didn't know it when I first hired Jesse." Gordon remarked. "However, after I got recruited by John to be his apprentice, he told me about all of this."

"So, spill it" Hoffman growled impatiently.

"Jesse had a drug problem."

Hoffman's mouth dropped in surprise. "You're kidding? That petite nurse used to do drugs?"

"I kid you not."

"What the hell did she use?"

"Ah, it was nothing hardcore like Amanda using heroine. Jesse used pot, but she was mostly addicted to huffing."

"So, if she used drugs, I take it that Jesse eventually became a patient to Jill's."

Gordon smiled. "Bingo"

_"Why do you use Jesse?" Jill had asked her newest patient by the name of Jesse Lansing. She was a petite sixteen-year-old._

_ The young girl had scars on her wrists and fingers. She had a black eye and a couple of bruises on her face._

_ "I use it as a way to escape the hellish reality I'm in." Jesse had admitted her voice soft. She looked defeated, her eyes looking down at the floor. _

_ "What reality is that?" Jill had inquired with curiosity._

_ Jesse had looked up, her eyes looking haunted. "I don't think you want to know about that."_

_ "Tell me, Jesse." Jill coaxed her. "That's why I'm here. To help you"_

_ "I don't think I can be helped."_

_ "If you seriously believed that, you wouldn't be here right now." Jill had told her. She had looked at something on her chart. "So, what brought you here? Something did, otherwise we wouldn't be talking right now."_

_ "I over did it with nitrous oxide from a whipped cream canister." _

_ Jesse could still remember sitting on the floor in her friend's bathroom huffing the gas from the whipped cream canisters. In no time, their faces began to feel numb. So, they smacked each other several times…drawing blood and creating huge bruises. After Lisa punched her in the face, which resulted in the black eye, the force of the punch knocked her back and she hit the back of her head on tub. _

_ She blacked out. However, when she regained consciousness, she was gasping for air. Lisa_ _called 911, and told them that Jesse had fallen down the stairs. However, at the hospital, it became clear that Jesse had hypoxia from inhaling too much of the nitrous oxide as well as other chemicals such as gas, nail remover, and glue. _

_ Rather than remove her from her step-father's throes, they sent her back to him since they believed some of the old scars on her body were a result from her using the inhalants to get high. He beat her badly that night, and threatened to skin her alive if she called the cops on him. _

_ Since she was too afraid to go to the police and using any inhalant drugs, she found an article in the paper about this clinic. This was her only shot at getting help, particularly getting cleaned. She was going to need to be smart to escape the clutches of her step-father. _

"Unknown to Jesse, Jill was talking about her to John." Gordon added. "He said that for the few weeks that Jesse was at her clinic, she talked about her at dinner time."

_"She needs help John, but she won't tell me." Jill had complained one night to her husband. _

_ John had shaken his head. There wasn't a night where Jill didn't complain to him about one of her patients. She didn't realize that all of them were a lost cause. They would never get help unless they were willing to get help, willing to make a change. He knew it was hard for drug users to do that. That's because the drugs were more important for them than their own lives. They were slowly killing themselves. _

_ "She sounds like most of your patients, dear." He said in a snarky tone. _

_ "She is not like them!" Jill had exclaimed to him. "She's different!"_

_ "Really, what makes her so unique?"_

_ "I get the feeling she's holding back telling me the truth on something. She knows she needs help. She wants it. However, she won't tell me what's causing her to use."_

_ "It's simple, sweetheart. She's addicted."_

_ Jill had let out a breath of exasperation and stormed off to their bedroom. John rolled his eyes. _

"Jesse finally revealed a few weeks later why she was using." Gordon explained. "Of course, she didn't tell Jill that her step-father was a serial killer. She just told her that he molested and beat her. Naturally, Jill called Social Services and the police. Jesse was removed from her step-father's custody and he was arrested. After that, that's when the police discovered that Mick Lansing was the Skinner."

"How did they find out?"

"While searching the house, there was a horrible smell coming from the cellar." Gordon replied. "They found bones, blood stains, and remnants of human flesh. There were body parts in the fridge and freezer. Jesse admitted that she watched her step-father kill her mother in front of her and ate her. Mick didn't deny the allegations. So, when his trial came, Jesse testified against him. He was found guilty and sentenced to get the death penalty. However, he found some way to escape from prison. Jesse always said that her step-father was a clever man…just insane."

"So, I take it when John found out why she was using, he became more sympathetic towards her." Hoffman mused.

"Oh, yeah" Gordon agreed. "I don't think anyone would've been able to handle what Jesse saw without going insane. The damage had been done though by the time Jesse had been placed in a foster home. Social services realized that a foster home wasn't the place for her. She needed help. So, she was placed in a mental institution for severe post-traumatic stress."


	25. Chapter 25

"I bet being committed to an institution hindered her schooling." Hoffman remarked dryly.

"It didn't though." Gordon said, shaking his head. "She still received school lessons from tutors. The doctors in charge of her case had noticed that learning helped her take her mind off of what happened. She was able to graduate on time with everyone else in her class. Even more remarkable, she got accepted into John Hopkins School of Nursing. It's is an honor considering how prominent John Hopkins is in the medical community."

"So, when did John get the Skinner?" Hoffman asked impatiently, wanting to know how a cancer patient was able to track down the whereabouts of a serial killer when the killer's step-daughter didn't even know where the fucker was.

"Not long after he tested Cecil." Gordon answered, stretching out a bit in his chair.

"Before I got recruited"

"Before anyone got recruited"

* * *

><p><em>John searched through the files in the filing cabinet in the home office. Jill was at the clinic again, helping those poor lost causes. He would've thought after what happened at the clinic couple months ago that she wouldn't want to work there again. Apparently, he was wrong. She was determined to help those sorry bastards get their life on track. That was hard when they didn't cherish their life to begin with.<em>

_He had to admit that their marriage had been strained lately. It was from the grief of losing Gideon and the bombshell that he was recently diagnosed with cancer. Of course, since Cecil was found dead not far from his workshop, Jill had been acting very suspiciously towards him lately like he did it. _

_Well...he did have something to do with Cecil's demise. However, it was indirect. The knife chair trap had failed since the chair collapsed. Cecil could've easily walked away, but decided to lunge at him instead. It wasn't his fault that he had been standing in front of a tumble of barb wire, which Cecil ended up in. His own blood thirst for revenge had killed him. Despite all that, Jill didn't seem incline to turn him in. Probably because she felt like Cecil had deserved it_

_He smiled triumphantly when he finally came across Jesse "Lansing" Anderson's file. He couldn't believe that huffing addict was the very same sweet nurse at the hospital. She definitely turned her life around. However, it was hard for her to lead a good life when her step-father was on the loose. Mick Lansing didn't cherish life if he was killing others and trying to make his step-daughter's life a living hell by treating his victims. That had to stop._

_He opened Jesse's clinic file, and read the contents. The last known location of Mick (aka the Skinner) had been in Buffalo, New York. Originally though, Mick and Jesse were both from Maryland. Mick was a native of the Salisbury area while Jesse was a native of Annapolis. John read through the notes that Jill had made during her sessions with the sixteen-year-old Jesse._

_ He wasn't surprised that her biological father had died two months before she was born. Jesse's mother, Glenda, had brought her daughter up on her own until Jesse was six-years-old. He was hit by a realization that this could've been easily Jill if Gideon had been born. How long he would've been around to see his son before the cancer claimed his life? That was a depressing thought. It was even more depressing that Gideon being miscarried was a bit of a blessing in disguise because his son wouldn't have had to gone through the pain of losing his father at such a young age. He shook his head to clear it. He needed to focus rather let his mind be overcome with depression, guilt, and regret._

_He continued reading the notes. Glenda had met Mick when Jesse was four months shy of being seven online in a chat room for widowers. They met in person eighteen months later, and they hit it off well. They dated for a year in a long-distance relationship before Mick asked Glenda to marry him. Jesse remarked that the first four years that they were married had seemed fine to her. However, when she had turned twelve, that's when things began to go downhill. Or, to Hell…whichever_

_It started off with him molesting her. Again, that didn't surprise John since Jesse had told him that during the biopsy. However, she had told Jill a lot more. John could feel his blood boiling at what Mick did to his step-daughter. He couldn't understand why people did these horrible things to their families. _

_ As Jesse had previously mentioned the night before at the hospital, he read an old article about Mick's arrest for murder. Jesse mentioned in the article that she saw Mick's true side when he killed her mother in front of her after she confronted him over stealing money from her bank account and cheating on her with other women. John's blood pressure was at critical as he read Jesse's painful and traumatic account in detail of how Mick tied her in a chair in the basement, which had mirrors on all sides of the wall. The basement had been converted into a practice studio for Jesse to dance in. She watched him go over to her mother, who was hanging upside down with a ball gag in her mouth. He began to skin her alive. How awful to be skinned when one was still alive!_

_ After the skin had been removed from her mother, Mick took the knife and slashed her throat. When she was dead, Mick picked up a piece of skin from the floor and ate it. John had to stop reading after that. He couldn't take it anymore. He went to the kitchen and made himself a cup of tea to collect himself. Then, he went back into the den to read more on the Skinner._


	26. Chapter 26

_John read through articles and information about the Skinner for hours. While he wanted to exorcise his brain from half of the material he had read tonight, he gained some knowledge about Jesse and her step-father Mick. They moved to Buffalo when Jesse had been fifteen-years-old. Mick had said it was because he wanted a change of scenery. However, according to what Jesse said in court, she had always suspected that people were getting suspicious about him since he kept changing stories about how his wife Glenda died. _

_ Mick wasn't very consistent with his lies since he would tell some people that Glenda had left him (which made people wonder why she didn't take her daughter with her) and tell others that she was killed in a car accident when there were no record of her dying in one. _

_ Jesse and Mick were the only ones that knew what had happened to her. After her step-father killed her mother, he buried what remained of her in the back yard. To ease the suspicion of what there was a recently dug hole filled with fresh dirty, he planted a shrubbery there. _

_ It didn't help Mick's case either that he had also killed six people around the Baltimore and Annapolis area. Jesse also remarked in court that after he had killed her mother, Mick had developed a taste for blood and human flesh. She had always wondered why Mick didn't kill her after he killed her mom, but Mick said he needed to have a warm body next to him at night so he could have a sure fuck each night. _

_ When they moved to Buffalo, she had been hoping that her step-father would stop killing people. However, that had been wishful thinking on her part. He killed six more people around the area. Her breaking point had been when he raped her when there was a prostitute present. Of course, Mick had lied to the prostitute. He told the prostitute that Jesse was just a submissive with a ball gag in her mouth and that she was eighteen. When Jesse was crying and Mick was hitting her hard, the prostitute had a feeling something was wrong. She said she wanted to go while Mick was having sex with her. However, Mick took a razor blade and slit her throat right when he came in her. Then, he made Jesse try to lick the blood from the wound. It was after that point that John had enough reading everything there was to know about the Skinner. _

_ John knew that the Skinner was convicted in New York, but sentenced to death Maryland. It was the first time in decades since Maryland had carried out such a sentence. He was transferred to a heavy security prison in Annapolis, but he escaped. The police still remain baffled about that. However, as Jesse had said, he was a genius despite being crazy. _

_ Jesse had moved back to Buffalo after she finished nursing school in Maryland. It was a year or two after that when the Skinner had broken out of prison. Considering there have been a few skinned bodies found lately, John estimated that the Skinner was still in the area. He needed to lure the serial killer out, so he could capture him. He needed to contact him first. _

_ He doubted that the Skinner would be stupid enough to be listed in the phone book, though he tried to look for a number there anyway. As he suspected, there were no one in the phone book named "Mick Lansing". He decided to check out the phone listings online. He wrote in "Mick Lansing" into the search engine. As expected, nothing came up. Then, he just decided to be general and write in "Mick". _

_ A few people's names came up from Mick Hudson to Mickey Albright. However, when his eyes fell over the name "Mickey Anderson", an eyebrow rose. Was this him? Jesse's last name was originally Anderson because it had been her biological father's. Was it possible that the Skinner was using this last name as a new identity? He decided to write down the number down anyway. _

_ He called the number. A gruff voice answered the phone. "Hello?"_

_ "Is this Mickey Anderson?" John asked through the voice modulator. _

_ "None of your fucking business"_

_ "I think it is. I know who you are. The police know where you're at. I suggest if you want my help, you meet me at the Gideon Meat Packing Plant tomorrow night at one a.m. Come alone"_

_ There was a silence on the other end of the phone. For a while, John wondered if the Skinner was going to respond. After a while, the Skinner finally replied. "Only if you come alone too"_

_ "You have my word."_

_ "Then, I'll see you at one." Then, John heard the phone being hung up. _

_ John smiled to himself. Tomorrow night, the Skinner was going to get tested. _


	27. Chapter 27

"Too bad John was never a detective." Hoffman remarked after listening to Gordon talk about how the late Jigsaw tracked down another serial killer. "He would've been great at it."

"Indeed" Gordon agreed. "However, you knew how John was. When he set his sights on something, he did what it took to get it."

"So, what had happen after he called the Skinner?" Hoffman asked curiously.

"From what John told me, it went like this."

_John watched Nurse Jesse as she made her rounds on the night shift. He checked his watch. It was fifteen minutes to midnight. He had a lot to do before he met the Skinner at his meat packing plant. _

_ He had to abduct Jesse since she was going to be a pawn in this game. Then, he had to get her to the plant before her step-father showed up. He had to do all of this without getting caught by anyone. Luckily for him, he didn't need to do anything else at the plant for the test. He prepared the trap for the Skinner during the day. _

_ He turned his attention back towards Jesse. She went into a room across from the nurse's station. He walked towards it, and dropped a note on the surface of the counter where she could see it. It said "_Nurse Jesse_". On the inside, the note read "_Meet me outside. We need to talk. –Gordon_"_

_ When the note was on the counter, he walked towards the exit to head outside. There had been a backpack he had hidden in a space on a cement pillar near the dumpster. It had a pig mask in there, chloroform, and a rag to put the chloroform on. He pulled out the pig mask, and slid it over his head. Next, he took out the rag and poured the chloroform on it. Then, he hid behind the dumpster waiting for the young nurse to come out. _

_ He waited patiently. However, a few minutes began to feel like a few hours. He checked his watch. It was fifteen minutes after midnight. Either Jesse was too swamp with work to go outside, or she never got the note. He was thinking about going back in to see where she was when she finally came outside into the cool, night air. _

_ "Dr. Gordon?" She called out. "Are you out here?"_

_ John stood still as a statue as Jesse walked closer to the dumpster. Like a cat, he walked to the other side of the dumpster. He got himself to stoop beside it, waiting for her to pass by it once more to go back in. _

_ "Dr. Gordon?" _

_ Realizing that her boss wasn't out here, she headed for the door. She had passed him when he sprang up from behind her. Without making a sound, he wrapped one arm around her waist while the other one with the chloroform drenched ragged clapped over her mouth and nose. She had cried out, but it was quickly muffled by the rag. _

_ She struggled in his embrace. She moved side to side to try to throw him. She was beginning to get weak as the chloroform began to overcome her system. However, he had underestimated her. Right when he thought she would pass out, she elbowed him in the stomach. He grunted in pain, but he kept a firm grip on her. His side throbbed as the effects of the chloroform finally overwhelmed her. When she was limp in his arms, he picked her up and carried her out to his car quickly. He set her down in the back seat. Then, he got in the driver's side and pulled away from the hospital parking lot. _

_ As he drove to the meat packing plant, he mused about how strong she was for such a little thing. It felt like she bruised his side when she elbowed him. Of course, considering the way Mickey Anderson treated her for years before she was finally rescued from him, he wasn't surprised. She had developed a tough exterior, as well as interior, from what he did to her. However, after tonight, she may finally be free of him once and for all._

_He arrived at the plant around 12:45 a.m. He was cutting it close. He parked his car, so that Mickey Anderson can see it when he arrives at one. He got, and retrieved Jesse from the back seat. He carried her into the building and gently laid her on the floor in the room where she would be during her step-father's test. He was awfully lucky she wasn't that heavy, let alone big. The cancer was already beginning to reduce his strength. He couldn't lift as much as he used to. He locked the room Jesse was in, and went outside to wait for the Skinner to arrive._

_ As he hid in the shadows waiting for Mick to arrive, he pulled out a syringe from his coat pocket. While he used chloroform on Jesse, he needed a stronger drug for Mick. It was mostly because he needed Mick to be out long enough so that he could hook the serial killer to his trap. He didn't have to wait long as he saw headlights on the road outside the plant. They turned into the parking lot. John checked his watch. It was one p.m. The Skinner was on time. _

_ Mick Anderson put his car in park, and got out. He wore a trench coat. He concealed a handgun in his coat pocket. As he approached the building, which most of it stood in darkness with the exception of the light over the backdoor, he kept his hand on the gun handle. He had a bad feeling about all of this. However, if he had a choice, he would rather deal with the mysterious man rather than the police. He refused to go back to prison._

_ "Hello!" He called out. "I'm here."_

_ Silence met him. Dead silence…the type of silence that was eerie. _

_ "Are you here?"_

_ No one replied. He walked up to the backdoor of the building. Maybe this contact wanted him to meet inside?_

_ He went up the ramp that led to the backdoor. It was next to where deliveries used to be made as he assumed the building was no longer used since it looked abandoned. After he passed a dark gate where a truck would've parked to drop off goods at, he felt someone jump on him. This was an ambush!_

_ His attacker pressed him against the wall. He couldn't get his gun out because his hand was trapped in the pocket by the wall. He felt one arm seemingly made out of steel wrapped around his stomach. He cried out when he felt a needle go into the side of his neck. The drug acted fast. _

_ He crumbled to the ground. He looked up to his attacker. The bastard wore a pig mask. He wished now it was a cop. Fear snaked it's way down his spine as he got a feeling he wasn't going to like what this assailant was going to do with him. _


	28. Chapter 28

**Author's Note**: This was a very hard scene to write because it was very graphic. I advice **DO NOT** eat anything while reading this chapter.

* * *

><p><em>Over a year ago <em>

Mick Anderson, known as the Skinner, slowly came to consciousness. His head throbbed with the dull pain of a headache. His tongue felt thick and heavy in his mouth. He was cold as he shivered a bit before he winced in pain. It felt like the soles of his feet had been cut deeply, and there was wet substance running down his legs. He felt disoriented. His vision was still a bit blurry, so he blinked to bring it back to view.

He discovered that he was hanging upside down. It was no wonder he had a headache. All the blood had rushed to his brain. He was feeling a little light headed now, so he breathed deeply through his nose. The light headedness began to fade away slowly.

He looked around at his surroundings. Oddly enough, there was a TV on the floor in front of him. He also saw conveyor belts, vats, hooks, and machinery. It looked like he was in some sort of factory. What kind? He wasn't sure yet. However, whatever kind of factory it was, the smell in there was horrible. Odors of blood and rotting flesh assailed his senses.

He should've been used to it because the cellar back in his old Maryland home had smelled almost the same way. However, the smell was a bit different. It was almost as if the blood and flesh had come from an animal rather than human. Bile rose in his throat. He arched himself, and threw back his head as he threw up on the floor. While he managed to avoid getting the majority of sick off his face, a few drops from his mouth slid down his face.

He came to the conclusion that he was in a meat factory. The thought sent a chill down his spine that he didn't feel earlier. What the fuck was he doing in a meat factory? He vaguely remembered going to one to meet up with a mysterious stranger, who claimed to know who he was and that the police had found out where he was at. The mystery man (or woman) was supposed to help him elude capture again. However, he ended up being ambushed by someone who had knocked him out.

As his vision adjusted to the dim light inside the factory, he saw that a dead pig was hanging upside down beside him. He finally realized where he was in the meat factory. He was hanging upside down from a conveyor belt on the ceiling, and he was naked. Steel manacles circled his ankles. He let out a scream, but instantly regretting it as blood rushed to his head once more…making him light headed.

When he was eight, he had gone to a meat packing plant on a class field trip. The animals had been hooked up to a ceiling conveyor belt to either get killed (usually having their throat slit) or to be skinned. Was he going to get killed or was he going to get skinned? He looked back at the dead pig. Since it would be pointless to slit the throat of a pig already dead, he made the deduction that he was on the conveyor line that was going to skin the animal….and him.

That would explain why his feet felt deeply cut on the bottom. There were two small blades embedded deep in his skin on each side of both feet. He felt that there were tiny hooks in his skin on both sides of the deep cut on the bottom of his feet.

While he knew it was a lost cause, it didn't stop him from crying out "Somebody please help me!"

He jumped a bit when the TV came on suddenly on the floor. There was an image of a morbid looking doll with black hair, a white face, and a red swirl design on each of it's cheeks. The doll moved it's eyes to him.

"Hello, Mick. I want to play a game. You skinned alive your victims, murdered many innocent people including your ex-wife Glenda, and abused your step-daughter Jesse. You escaped justice years ago, but you won't be able to escape justice today. You will feel what you put your victims through today as the skin on your body is slowly removed. However, you'll have a chance to save yourself from being skinned alive."

"There are four buttons on the floor." The doll continued. "You will see one every other minute as the conveyor belt above your head moves you closer to the meat grinder down the line. Reach for the button on the bottom of the floor. If you press it, you spare your skin from being removed for a few feet. If you fail to reach each button, you'll be completely skinned alive. Observe"

Mick jumped when the conveyor belt roared to life. He breathed a sigh of relief when it was just the body of the dead pig moving down the conveyor belt. However, relief turned into stark horror as he watched the pig being skinned alive by the machine. Then, the pig was dropped into a circular vat, which was the meat grinder.

"Unlike the pig, you will have a chance of a helping hand saving you from death." The doll remarked. "Let the games begin." The TV turned off.

Mick cried out in fear as he began to move down the line on the conveyor belt. He had been hoping that the blades in his skin near his ankles would only move if he didn't press the buttons. Imagine his surprise when the blades slit down the length of his body in a blink of an eye. Blood spilled out from the long deep cut on each side of his body. He screamed in pain.

He saw the first button the floor. He reached desperately for the button on the floor. However, it was a lot harder than he thought since it hurt to reach. Yet, it began to hurt a lot more when the hooks in the bottom of his feet began to slowly peel his skin back from his body. He cried out in agony as the skin from his feet to his knees was removed of skin.

He began to shake a bit as shock set in. He felt sick again to his stomach, and he threw up. This time, the vomit covered his face and got into his eyes. Because of this, he missed the second button on the floor. His skin was peeled from his knees to his waist.

He wiped the vomit away from his face and eyes. This time, he saw the third button. Using a burst of adrenaline and making an effort to ignore the pain engulfing him, he reached for that button and pressed it. He breathed a sigh of relief as he spared himself from having his skin removed.

He should've waited to do that until the last button. He had closed his eyes as he had sighed in relief, and he noticed the last button on the floor when he opened his eyes. He reached for the button, but his fingers barely made it. He screamed as the skin from his waist to his chest was removed.

He should've waited to do that until the last button. He had closed his eyes as he had sighed in relief, and he noticed the last button on the floor when he opened his eyes. He reached for the button, but his fingers barely made it. He screamed as the skin from his waist to his chest was removed.

Only his arms, shoulders, neck, and face had skin. Everything else was now skinless. Tears swam in his eyes, and spilled out onto his face. He was a freak now. He didn't feel scared when his body hanged over the meat grinder. He closed his eyes, and expected to be dropped into it. However, nothing happened.


	29. Chapter 29

**Author's Note**: _Sorry about my absence for the last several months. My writer's block for this fan fic finally went away. I hope you enjoy it :)_

Jesse swam back into consciousness. She blinked a couple times, so her eyes can get used to the light in the room despite it being dim. She felt cold tiles beneath her cheek. She realized she was on the floor. How the hell did she get there? Did she pass out?

She looked around to get her bearings. She was in a small room with numerous control panels. It looked like some sort of control room. She was confused. What the hell was she doing in a control room?

She slowly sat up, and put her head in her hands to try to remember where she was before she ended up here. It was hard to concentrate though because she had a pounding headache and her throat was very dry. She swallowed a couple times to try to bring some moisture to her throat, but she knew she needed to drink some water. She was dehydrated.

As she tried to remember what happened, a scream sent a cold chill down her spine. She scrambled to her feet, scared.

"Hello?" She called out. "Can anyone hear me?"

There wasn't a response. What she did hear, however, was a machine running. Was she at some factory? If so, what kind of factory? The more pressing question was what was she doing at a factory? She didn't remember driving to one.

It was then that the memory hit her. She had been at the hospital. She had gone outside to meet Dr. Gordon. She was near the dumpsters when someone jumped her. She remembered struggling and a damp piece of cloth clamped down over her nose.

Holy shit! She had been kidnapped! She ran to the door, and tried to open it. Unfortunately, it was locked. She banged on it.

"Help me! Someone help me!"

No one answered. She banged on the door a few more times as tears began to run down her cheeks.

"Please, someone help me!" She cried.

Other than feeling scared shitless, she had the odd sensation that she was being watched. She looked around her. It wasn't until she looked up at the ceiling where her eyes fell upon a security camera in the top right hand corner. There was a red light on, indicating it was recording. So, someone was watching her.

"Let me go!" She shouted at the camera, hoping her captor was watching. "Please let me go"

She pounded on the door a few more times with her fists, but stopped when her hands began to hurt. That had been futile.

She heard a scream again. Whoever it was sounds like they were being tortured by their captor. Was she going to be tortured too? Or worse, brutally murdered? Horrible thoughts from when she was a young girl flooded back to her as she recalled watching her step-father murdering her mother and countless others in front of her. At times, she had wished he would've killed her too so she would be free from the Hell he put her in. Other times, she hoped that he would spare her life so that she could survive to make sure he was brought to justice. Now, she felt she was reliving that hell all over again. Perhaps her step-father was her captor after all.

"Let me go Mick!" She screamed at the camera.

However, something brought her up short. This wasn't her step-father's style. He never kidnapped anyone, locked them in a room, and watched them through a camera. This was someone else, but who?

Another scream made her jump. She realized that it was a man screaming. What was happening to him? What was their captor doing to him that made him scream in agony? Question was did she really wanted to know?

She jumped when extra light had filled the room from behind her. She realized that curtains surrounding the windows of the room had been pulled back. She gasped at what she saw.

In front of her eyes was an expanse of machinery. There were grinders, hooks hanging from conveyer belts, vats with control panels on them, and other machines that she didn't know what their job was. Apparently, she was in a meat factory of some sort.

The other thing that greeted her sight was a man hanging upside down from a conveyer belt. She had gasped when she recognized it was her step-father, Mick. She felt bile rise when she realized that most of the skin was gone from his body with the exception of his arms, shoulders, neck, and head. This is why she heard her step-father scream in such agony. He had been skinned alive.

While she felt sickened on one hand, she felt like this was ironic on the other. This is exactly what he did to his victims before he killed them. She wasn't sure if she felt sorry for him or not. Now, she noticed that he was dangling over what looked like a meat grinder.

It was at that point where Mick had looked up from the meat grinder. "Jesse, did you do this to me you sadistic bitch?"

"Sadistic…interesting choice of word there, considering all the shit you've done." Jesse told him coldly.

"Get me out of here!"

"I would if I could, but I don't know how. I'm a nurse, not a meat factory worker."

At that point, a TV screen came to life on a monitor in the control room. There was another TV monitor that came on too that was mounted on the wall in the factory. A creepy doll appeared on the screen. It had a white face with black hair and a red circular pattern on it's cheeks. Mick moaned.

"Oh, no…not this bastard again"

"Hello, Jesse" The doll addressed to his step-daughter. "As you can see, your step-father has finished playing his game. Now, it's your turn to play. This man was responsible for murdering your mother and countless others. He was the one that put you through hell by abusing you and making you watch him do his dirty work. You have a chance to save his life, but you can also send him to Hell in which he belongs in."

"You have two buttons in front of you on the control panel." The doll continued. "There's one big red button and one big green button. They are about the size of a portabella mushroom head. If you hit the red button, the conveyor belt will move your step-father out of danger and drop him onto a mattress next to the meat grinder. He'll be in serious pain, but he'll be alive. However, if you press the green button, he'll be dropped into the meat grinder. It will be game over for him. So, Jesse…do you want to forgive? Or do you want vengeance for what he did to you and countless others including your mother? Decide in the next two minutes or the decision will be made for you. Live or death"

The TVs shut off, and a counter went on showing she had two minutes to decide the fate of her step-father. She walked to the control panel where the two buttons stood. She didn't know which one to choose.

"Jesse! Save me!" Mick pleaded. "Please, save me!"

Jesse's mind went back to when she was sixteen and she witnessed him slitting the throat of a young woman after he had skinned her alive.

"I loved you like you were my own child!" Mick continued. "I took care of you after your mother died."

Memories of her step-father raping and beating her flooded her mind. She also remembered watching Mick kill her mother in front of her.

"Save me, you little bitch!" He screamed at her.

Even after all of these years when he was in prison and escaped, he was still the same old Jackass that had murdered countless of innocent people and was her living nightmare. As long as he lived, even if most of the skin was off his body, he was still a threat to society. Not to mention, calling her a little and sadistic bitch didn't help him win her favor. She made the decision.

"Enjoy hell, you sick bastard" She snarled at him as she slammed her palm against the green button.

There was a look of shock on Mick's face as he was dropped into the meat grinder. As his body hit the blades, she quickly averted her attention from the windows and crumbled to the floor, sobbing as his screams filled the air.


	30. Chapter 30

Jesse covered her ears as the horrific screams from her step-father, Mick the Skinner, filled the factory. It was worst that her sobbing couldn't drown out his screams. It was almost as if his screams had embedded themselves on her brain. While it seemed like forever before she realized that the only sound she could hear were the sobs being emitted from her, it had actually been several seconds after she had pushed that green button that sent Mick to his death.

The absence of Mick's screams heralded that her step-father was finally dead. Before she could prevent it, she released a sigh of relief. She normally wasn't one that wished death upon others. Nor, did she feel normally revel when someone actually died. However, when it came to her step-father, it was a good riddance to bad rubbish. He had been a major threat to society.

That was part of the reason why she was crying. She felt this huge weight off her shoulders now that Mick was dead. She didn't have to worry about him trying to go after her. No one else had to die anymore because of him. At the same time, she felt guilty because she felt like she committed murder. She sent him to his death when she could've helped him. After all, she's a nurse. However, even if she did save him, it would've been only a matter of time before he would turn against her once more. Not to mention, having 75% to 80% of his skin removed wouldn't deter him from killing another victim in the same manner. In fact, he probably would've done it out of vengeance.

While the majority of memories that she had of him were bad, the first few years of Mick being her step-father weren't bad. She felt she had a father for the first time in her life when her mom and step-father had been married. Mick helped her with her homework. He watched her at dance recitals, school plays, games, and swim meets. Those memories of him were happy, but had become bittersweet…especially now.

She had wondered since she was twelve when Mick officially lost his mind since he had seemed normal in the beginning. Perhaps he lost his mind way before he began to date her mother, and he just hid it well. Some people are great about hiding their dark side.

Her reverie was interrupted when she heard someone unlock the door. The door opened, revealing a hooded figure in a black cloak with red trimming. It didn't take a rocket scientist to come to the conclusion that this was her captor. That is, unless the police now wore cloaks as part of their uniforms…which she seriously doubted. She scrambled away from her captor. She wanted as much as space away from them.

"Good evening, Jesse" Her captor said. He sounded male. In fact, the male voice sounded a bit familiar to her.

"Who are you?" Jesse demanded angrily. "What do you want from me?"

"I understand that you're afraid, Jesse." Her captor said to her casually, as if he knew her personally. "You've been through a lot tonight."

The fact that her captor seemed to know her personally didn't help alleviate her fears. After all, she knew a lot of victims of crime that had personally know the person that attacked them…or worse, killed them. Mick had been a perfect example of that.

"Of course, I'm afraid." She countered. "I don't know who you are and why you've decided to put me through this Hell."

Her captor entered the room. "I'm not putting you through Hell." He retorted. "I've given you a way to be free from your Hell. The justice system failed you, Jesse. It failed your mother and all of your step-father's victims. Someone had to give this man justice. What better person to give him Justice than you"

Jesse's mouth dropped. "I just killed a man!"

Her captor shrugged. "He was already a condemned man. Rather than the state carrying out his death sentence, you did. You just finished what had already been started."

Jesse held up her hands in protest. "Look, I agree that the man deserved to die. He was a horrible little shit. However, the way he just went…" She gestured towards the window that was facing the meat grinder, not daring to look at it in fear of seeing what remained of Mick Lansing. "It's just too much. I would've been happy to see him electrocuted or receive a lethal injection. Not be grinded up into hamburger meat"

"Again, I find it to be a fitting way for him to go." Her captor remarked. "He skinned his victims alive before killing half of them. He cannibalized them."

Jesse nodded her head reluctantly. She couldn't argue with him on that. It did seem like being grinded up in a meat grinder was the best way for Mick to leave this world after how he brutally murdered a lot of people including her mother.

"By your silence, I can see you now understand my point of view."

Jesse blew out an exasperated sigh. "Yeah, yeah, yeah…I do. So what? Now, are you going to tell me who you are?"

"Of course, my dear"

Jesse could almost sense her captor smiling beneath the cloak. She watched as he lowered the hood. She let out a gasp of surprise.

"Mr. Kramer" She whispered


	31. Chapter 31

Author's note: I apologize if it's been a while since I last updated this story. I've been busy getting my novel published on Amazon. I'm hoping I can finish this story soon. Thank you everyone for your support :)

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><p>John bowed his head towards Jesse. "Call me John, Jesse"<p>

Jesse was shocked that her captor was one of her patients. She couldn't find her tongue. She would open her mouth, and close it again. She wasn't sure what to say to him.

"You look like you could use some tea." John remarked. "Would you like some tea?"

She nodded her head. It felt animated, as if someone else was controlling her movement.

John leaned over slightly, and offered her his hand. She hesitated at first, but then decided to put her hand into his. He pulled her up from the floor. He stumbled a bit when she was standing beside him. She put her arm around his waist.

"Are you alright?" She asked him concernedly.

"My balance and strength is beginning to get affected by the cancer." He replied.

She immediately went into nurse mode from being a timid, frightened woman. "Just take it easy, John. You know what Dr. Gordon has told you."

"Of course"

A little while later, they were drinking tea in what used to be the break room of the factory. Normally, she drank tea with two teaspoon of sugar. Right now, it was five and she didn't care if it wasn't healthy for her to have that much sugar in her tea.

"Are you feeling better?" John asked her curiously.

She shrugged. She didn't know the answer to that question. On one hand, she was rid of that nightmare that was her step-father. She didn't have to worry about him going after her or anybody else now. Most importantly, her mother's spirit can truly rest in peace now. On the other hand, she was partially responsible for her step-father's demise. Was sending him to his death any better than all the death he dispatched to his victims?

"I don't know." She finally answered.

John nodded his head a bit as he took a sip of tea. "There is something I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

"I'm looking for someone to carry on my work once I go."

She raised an eyebrow. "I have no experience in factory work or making toys."

"It's not that."

"Then, what is it?"

"I want someone to test others."

She shook her head, trying to clear it. Perhaps she wasn't over the shock of what happened earlier tonight since she couldn't make sense of what John was trying to tell her.

"I'm sorry. Test them with what, exactly?"

"To see if they really cherish their lives since they seem to be throwing it away"

It took a while, but it finally dawned on her that he was talking about testing other people the same way that he tested her step-father tonight.

"Don't you think I've had my fair share already of seeing people brutally murdered in front of me by my step-father?" She asked coldly.

"That's a major reason why I considered you."

"Why would you think I would want to do that to other people?" She asked angrily.

"They are a cancer to society." He replied, almost sounding bitter. "They feed off of it, taint it, or destroy it. You would be doing society a favor by testing these individuals. If they pass, they would change their life for the better so they are no longer a problem to society. If they fail, society doesn't have to deal with them anymore."

Jesse shook her head. "John, do you know why I became a nurse? It's because I want redemption. I feel tainted of what I saw and did thanks to Mick. There's no way I can test people to see if they really cherish their life or not. I won't become a serial killer like my step-father."

"You wouldn't really be killing these people, Jesse. Their failure to complete their test is what kills them." He pointed out.

"I may not be killing them myself directly, but I'm indirectly causing their death by forcing them to go through a test and not interfering if they get into trouble." She countered. She took a deep breath to control her rising anger. "Look, you have to understand why I don't want to do this."

John was silent for a while as he contemplated what Jesse said. Finally, he sighed. "Alright, you win Jesse. You won't be my accomplice. If you change your mind, you know where to find me." He finished his tea, and got up. He began to walk out of the room.

"You're not going to kill me?" She asked, baffled.

"I told you, Jesse." He said patiently, though she can hear the steel in his tone. "I'm not the one that kills people. They kill themselves with their decisions and actions. I just try to help them see the light."

"So, I'm free?"

"Yes, Jesse" He said as he turned around and headed out of the room. "You can leave after you're done with your tea."

"You're not worried about me going to the cops?"

"No, I can't see how you will explain to the detectives how your step-father died without suspecting you of murder."

Jesse's mouth dropped in surprise. When she didn't say anything, John added "See what I mean?" She nodded her head. "I'll see you at the next appointment, Jesse." Then, her patient left the room.


	32. Chapter 32

Mark Hoffman had linked his fingers behind his head. "So, John asked Jesse to be his accomplice before any of us?"

"Correct" Dr. Gordon said. "So, did you find out about Jesse after you were tested?"

"Yes" Gordon replied. "She had been helping him nurse me back to health. I asked her what the hell she was doing, and John told her to go back to the hospital while he would fill me in. Of course, he did this after I accepted being his next apprentice."

"I wonder why he didn't tell me about her."

"It's simple, detective. He didn't trust you."

"So, did Amanda know?"

"Hell no" Gordon said vehemently. "You know how Amanda reacted with Lynn when she was tested…again. Both John and I thought Amanda would've gone after Jesse if she knew that John had asked Jesse to be an accomplice before her. She would've saw Jesse as a threat because John trusted Jesse more, even if she didn't want to be his accomplice. However, Amanda would've also seen that John cared more for Jesse than her."

"And the Crazy Bitch couldn't have that"

"Exactly"

"Did Jesse know about Amanda and I being John's accomplices?"

"Yes, she knew everything about us and our ties to John." Gordon replied as he stood up with the help of his cane. "Of course, she didn't dare tell anyone about us in fear that it would lead to her confessing that she had a part in how Mick died. She didn't want that."

"Where are you going?" Hoffman demanded, changing the subject.

"I need to go. I have surgery tomorrow morning." He replied. "I will bring broth tomorrow. I think that would be easier on your stomach to digest."

"What about something to drink? I'm thirsty."

"Hold on" Gordon said with patience as he walked slowly out of the room, and returned with a small pitcher of ice water.

He set it down next to a plastic cup on the small table beside the bed. He pulled out a set of handcuff keys, and unlocked the cuffs on the detective's wrists. He braced himself for the detective's wrath, but Hoffman grabbed the pitcher and poured himself a cup. He downed the water quickly in a few gulps, and refilled the cup another four more times.

Hoffman sighed in content after the fifth cup of water. The water felt good going down his parched throat and he felt a bit refreshed.

"I'll see you tomorrow, detective." Gordon said as he began to walk away. He stopped at the door frame, and turned his head slightly his way. "I wouldn't try to leave if I were you. As I said earlier, you're a wanted man now."

"I haven't forgotten that tid bit." Hoffman said dryly.

"That's great to hear." Gordon said as he left the room. "Good night" Then, he closed the door to the room leaving Hoffman alone.


End file.
